Why It’s a Problem
Many people admire the models they see. Though we’d like to think that everyone has enough self-confidence to brave comparisons, that’s unrealistic. Most people, especially teens and college-age students, don’t have the self-esteem to survive such a comparison. “Adolescence is a vulnerable time…as it is a period in which conformity peaks,” according to research by J.P. Hill and M.E. Lynch. Unfortunately, many teens strive to look a certain way just to fit in.

The real problem is the way they try to attain “perfection.” Thousands of people undergo surgery every year to increase their breast size and remove fat. More and more young women are developing eating disorders in an attempt to change their bodies. “Adolescence is the period of greatest vulnerability to the development of eating disorders,” says Dr. H.W. Hoek’s research.

Men, too, feel pressure to look strong and muscular. Men will diet and exercise to build strong pecs and “six-pack” stomachs. Men are even increasing their chest size through plastic surgery. Sadly, these approaches to “fitness” and good looks are unhealthy.

Americans spend $30 billion a year on dieting. Women and men are wasting time, money and happiness on attaining the perfect figure. As long as the obsession with physical beauty continues, so will the billion-dollar diet industry. And, worse, people’s disappointment will also continue as they attempt to get what their bodies weren’t meant to have. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with working to improve your body and overall well being, just do it in a healthy way.

How to Survive
Though the media is showing no sign of changing this “perfect body obsession,” there are many ways to avoid being sucked in to this unhealthy world. Try these tips:

• Expand your concept of beauty. Beauty isn’t only what you see on a magazine cover. Think of people whom you think are beautiful. Try to identify what makes them that way. Are their bodies all “perfect”? Is there no room for improvement at all? Probably not. Realize that there is beauty without perfection. Remember, too, that beauty is more than skin deep. Think of people you admire and why you respect them. Most likely, it’s not because of their physical traits!