WOMEN'S BODIES AND SOCIETIES STANDARDS

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Submitted Date 04/26/2019
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WOMEN'S BODIES AND SOCIETIES STANDARDS

 

I don't know what it is about our culture and the idea that being smaller means that you are more attractive. The media puts so much pressure on us, especially as women. I know that this topic is worn out and talked to death, but just bare with me and be aware of how media influences your thoughts and opinions about yourself and about others.

From a medical point of view, a healthy diet and a proportional healthy weight is ideal to avoid health conditions that are caused by being obese. There are different levels of BMI.

 

BMI Categories:

Underweight = <18.5

Normal weight = 18.5–24.9

Overweight = 25–29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

 

You can calculate your BMI by taking your height and weight but it's better to get measured by pinching your skin. By pinching your skin, you are able to see how much excess fat you have on your body. The reason is, if you lift and have a large muscle mass, taking your height and weight won't account for that.

 

Also, studies have shown that the amount of fat around the midsection is what puts you at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

 

So medically speaking, a healthy weight is optimal for a healthy life. A life with less time in the hospital due to preventable diseases.

 

Now think about when you were dating. When you are looking for a suitable mate, you instinctively choose someone who has symmetrical features and a healthy body so that if you reproduce, your offspring will have an optimal life.

 

Even if you don't want kids, it's just instinctual.

 

That's why when you are single, you tend to workout and take care of yourself more. Along with having the time and attention to care for soley yourself, you are wanting to look your best because you never know; today could be the day that you meet "the one".

Women wear makeup to disguise ourselves to trick men (or women) into thinking that we have more proportionate features, or to accentuate our features. We cover our acne because clear skin is healthy skin. We plump our lips to trick them into thinking they will have a great sexual experience and we wear heels to give our legs and butts shape for the same reason. We get botox because we want them to think that are able the age gracefully (or are able to stop time or so they think we are immortal or something,.. I don't really understand this one).

This is just from the reproductive standpoint. If you like to wear makeup, heals, and get lip injections/botox for yourself that's cool. But just think, why do you like doing those things for yourself.

Because after, you feel better about yourself. But why do you feel better about yourself. Do you feel more worthy of love and affection and is it because you are more sexually appealing?

 

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with making yourself more attractive. Like I said, it's instinctual and necessary for finding suitable partners and then reproducing healthy offspring.

 

My problem, is how far we have taken our idea of how women should look. I can't speak for men's experience, as I am a woman but I'm sure there is pressure on them too.

 

The fashion industry has evolved over time and with it, our idea of what bodies should look like.

 

This is a great website to check out if you want more of a history on where waist trainer and corsets cam about:

https://galoremag.com/history-of-corsets-and-waist-trainers/

 

According to galoremag:

"While the exact origin of corsets remain unknown, there's proof going back as far as 3,000 BCE that Cretan, Sumerian and Minoan women were wearing open-fronted bodices which framed their bare breasts (scandalous) paired with flounced skirts that emphasized the shapely hips stemming from their tiny waists.

There's no real evidence to suggest that this was a wide-spread fashion trend, however, and it's generally agreed upon that these daring pioneers were priestesses related to the fertility cult, hence the insistence on freeing the nip and emphasizing their birthing-ready hips."

From there, corsets came in the middle ages to Europe, "then in the 1400s, over in France, Agnes Sorel, the mistress to Charles VIII, started the trend of wearing décolleté gowns in French Court, which is just a fancy word for dresses that show your décolletage.

And just like when Kim started wearing waist trainers, once Agnes started wearing hers, every fashionable woman wanted to do it, and thus the first wide-spread corset-involved fashion trend was born.", the Georgian Era produced the corset, the Victorian era produced the corsets that were so tight that "this also marks the first time that physicians and heads of state like Napoleon Bonaparte started warning women about the dangers of corsets, with Napoleon going so far as to call them "the murderer of the human race." There was a brief 1920's flapper rebellion, then in 1940's dior made them fashionable again, and that brings us to the age of Madona and present day Kardashians and spanx galore.

My point, is that the expectations of what a woman's body should look like has changed over time and there is a very long history of tiny frames, small waists, large breasts, and large butts. Think about these expectations and how much time, energy, self loathing has gone on and I encourage you to rebel from these fashion trends. Eat a healthy diet, be at a healthy weight for your body, and live your life without the self loathing because there will always be another trend tomorrow to make us feel bad about ourselves.

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  • Tomas Chough 4 years, 11 months ago

    Great insight and perspective. I agree, it's better to live life how we want. Society will always push trends on people (and definitely on women). Thanks for sharing!

  • Ceara 4 years, 11 months ago

    This is a really important subject to write and talk about. Thank you for sharing! Societal views have severely impacted how people grow up in very negative ways.

  • No name 4 years, 11 months ago

    BMI isn't even a good judge of health overall anyways. Numbers stress us out.

  • Miranda Fotia 4 years, 11 months ago

    There are so many ways a woman can get it wrong. Trying to be perfect is just a waste of time! Great piece! Very important topic!