SelfBodyImageintheUnitedStates:

PrettyDoesntHaveToHurtAnymore

OVERVIEW:Withthewaysocietyhasprogressedovertheyears,selfbodyimagehasbecome
amajorissueformanypeopleacrossthecountry.Theconsequencesofhavinganegativeself
bodyimagearenumerousandserious.Weasasocietyneedtostarttakingstepstowards
reducingthestigmaagainstbodytypesandbeginpromotingahappy,healthybody.Howdowe
improveselfbodyimageintheUnitedStates?

OPTION1:
Governmentalregulationofinvasivecosmetictreatments

Peoplewithnegativeselfbodyimageoftenturntoinvasivecosmetictreatmentssuchas
Botoxorplasticsurgeryasacopingmechanismfortheirownthoughtsabouthowtheylook.Not
onlyaresuchtreatmentsdangerous,theyalsofeedintotheideathathowonelooksisntgood
enough.Ifthegovernmentweretostepinandregulatethedistributionofsuchtreatments,there
wouldautomaticallybeadecreaseinthenumberofpeopleabletogetthesetreatments.Such
anactionwouldalsohopefullyguidepeopletoseethegoodintheirownbody,andrealizethey
dontneedbodyalteringtreatmentsinordertofeelgoodaboutthemselves.Butisitrightforthe
governmenttobeabletoregulatethesetreatments?Evenifitwouldresultinpeoplebeginning
tofeelbetteraboutthemselves,wouldthepeoplewhoregularlygetthesetreatmentsagreewith
suchregulation?

Possibleactions:
1. Imposeagerestrictionsonthoseseekingthesetreatments.
2. Requirepsychologicalevaluationsforpatients.
3. Havelimitsonrepeatedsurgeries.

Relateddrawbacks:
1. Olderagewillmaketherecoveryperiodlonger.
2. Peoplehavetherighttodowhatevertheywanttodototheirownbody.
3. Relatedeconomicwithdrawalsfromthisbilliondollarindustry.
4. Itmaykeeppeopleinlowesteemand
nonacceptanceofthemselves.

OPTION2:
Promotionofhealthybodyperceptions

Whiletheideaofpromotinghealthybodyperceptionsseemslikearatherobviousand
easysolution,mostofthetimeitisnotimplementedinreality.Oneofthemostimportantsteps
inpromotingthisideaistalkingaboutbodyimage,butpeopleshyawayfromdiscussingthis
topic,muchlikeitishumannaturetoshyawayfromanycontroversialtopic.Butthisfactmakes
itallthemoreimportantforpeopletodotheoppositeandtalkaboutbodyimage,especially
youngchildrenandpeoplewhosufferfrommentaldisorders.Butwhowillstartthe
conversation?Willpeoplewhosufferfrommentaldisordersbeopentotheideaoftalkingabout
theirownbodyimage?


Possibleactions:
1. Worktobetterthetreatmentofmentaldisorders.
2. Educateanddiscusshealthybodyperceptionsinschools.
3. Researchandstudymentalhealthinrelationtobodyimage.

Relateddrawbacks:
1. Increaseofqualityofcareleadstoincreaseincostforcare.
2. Thedifficultyofsimultaneouslyincreasingaccesstocareaswellasqualityofcare.
3. Theextensiveresources/timeneededtodoinnovativeresearch.
4. Thecosttoschoolstoteachtheirstudentsaboutbodyimage.

OPTION3:
Massmediaindustriesactivelyendorsingrealisticbodytypes

Itisnosecretthateveryoneinsocietyisaffectedbywhatthemediaportrays.This
influenceresultsinmassmediaplayingahugeroleintheproblemwithselfbodyimageinthe
UnitedStates.Thinkinggoodthingsaboutwhatyourbodytypeisismuchharderifallthe
billboardsonepassesandallthecommercialsoneseesarefilledwithskinny,tall,female
modelsandstrong,muscular,malemodels.Alltypesofmassmediaindustriesshouldstart
endorsingrealisticbodytypes,notonlythroughwhatthepeopleinvolvedsayanddo,butalso
throughthedifferentkindsofpeopleinvolvedintheseindustries.Thelastsuggestionisthe
hardest,asthereisalwaysthequestionofwhetheritisrighttochooseapersonforarolebased
onhowhe/shelooks.Howshouldmassmediaindustriestrytobalancethisneedforthemto
endorserealisticbodytypesandthemoralityofpickingpeoplefordifferentrolesbasedon
looks?

Possibleactions(basedonindustries):
1. Musicindustry:Donotdiscriminatesingersfordifferentbodytypes.
2. Fashionindustry:Stopphotoshoppingmodels.
3. Fashionindustry:Hiremodelswithrealisticbodytypes.
4. Movieindustry:Createmorerolesforplussizedactors.
5. Movieindustry:Castmorepeoplewithdifferentbodytypes.

Relateddrawbacks:
1. Thisproposedsolutioncouldtakeaverylongtimetobecomeareality.
2. Initiallossofrevenuetotheindustrysmarket.
3. Reversediscriminationcouldresult.

FURTHERREADING:
Checkoutthesecoolarticlesthatwehavefound!

"CosmeticSurgery:15YearsofFactsandFigures."
TheAmericanSocietyforAestheticPlastic
Surgery
.ASAPS,3May2012.Web.27Feb.2016.

Gilman,Greg."Ke$haBlamesEatingDisorderonMusicIndustrysUnrealisticExpectationsof
BodyImage."
TheWrap
.TheWrapNewsInc.,11July2014.Web.28Feb.2016.

Morris,AnneM.,andDebraK.Katzman."TheImpactoftheMediaonEatingDisordersin
ChildrenandAdolescents."
Pediatrics&ChildHealth.
PulsusGroupInc,June2003.
Web.29Feb.2016.