Essays About Body Image: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts
Essays about body image tackle delicate subjects like insecurities and mental illnesses; to effectively discuss it with tact, see our top essay examples.
The term “body image” refers to how you see and feel about your appearance. Although many support body positivity today and push for body acceptance, studies still show that 86% of women suffer from negative body image and want to lose weight . The inability to accept oneself results in low self-esteem, stress, and depression. Picking body image as your essay topic lets you join the discussion regarding this always-timely issue. Consider the examples listed below as inspiration for your essay:
1. Long Essay on Body Image by Prasanna
2. gender and body image essay by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 3. the negative body image presented by the media by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. social media and body image by anonymous on edubirdie.com, 5. negative body images essay by writer valeria, 1. aspects of body image, 2. body image: the good and the bad, 3. factors affecting teenager body image, 4. beauty pageants: pros and cons, 5. body image and mental health, 6. victoria’s secret models and body image, 7. men’s body image, 8. what is body shaming, 9. knowing what’s real: curating my body image, 10. my journey to self-love.
“People have forgotten the concept of inner beauty. A person should always think of themselves to be perfect in front of the mirror.”
Prasanna explains what body image means, including its consequences in the form of disorders. She delves into how a person’s perception of their physical appearance affects their lives and how it’s now a big problem in today’s society. The author believes cultivating a supportive environment dramatically improves one’s body image. In the end, she reminds the readers how God made everyone unique in their own right and to start having a positive attitude towards their bodies.
You might also be interested in these articles and essays about appearance .
“Online blogs, television, and films all provide examples of perfect female and male bodies. When real people compare themselves to these ideals, they experience dissatisfaction with their body that results in body image issues.”
The essay scrutinizes ideals that trigger someone’s body issues, often leading to physical and mental problems. For example, today’s ideal female body is fit, with low body fat and a slim waist. Meanwhile, men should be muscular with sharp facial features. Because these are the only acceptable “right” bodies, many go through unhealthy diets, take dubious pills, and engage in strenuous exercises. The writer supports the body positivity movement that demands diversity from mass media.
See how to write an essay about diversity if you want to write about it instead.
“The media also provide unrealistic body image that no human can meet without causing harm to themselves.”
Harmful diets, dangerous treatments, expensive surgeries – people do these and many more to achieve and maintain the perfect body presented in mass media. This “false advertising” even results in eating disorders and food-related diseases. The essay adds research findings and relevant cases to support the author’s distaste for mass media’s impact on individuals’ perceptions of themselves.
“… social networking can cause an individual to set a high expectation on themselves. The media encompasses a set thought of what is attractive and what is not attractive.”
While social media is a great platform to promote healthy living, the author brings up how it also presents unrealistic body standards. Although most are thanks to digital editing, photos depicting perfect body images of celebrities, models, and influencers on social media still affect individuals’ concept of how they should look. By constantly seeing these “perfect” photos online, people turn to doctoring their pictures and deluding themselves into thinking they look like something they aren’t. Sometimes, people even go under the knife to replicate their altered photos.
“Seeing overly skinny models in the media does not enhance women’s self-esteem, self-worth or self-image.”
In this essay, Valeria shares her review of the book Understanding Negative Body Image by Barbara Moe which focuses on the culture’s obsession with weight, shape, and body image. The writer includes her favorite part of the book, where flat chests are fashionable in Ms. America. She compares it to today, where bigger breasts and thinner bodies are preferred. Valeria believes the media needs to show more diverse and realistic body shapes to reduce negative body image.
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10 Helpful Writing Prompts On Essays About Body Image
Are the samples above effective in giving you inspiration for your essay? If you’re still thinking of what to write about, you can use the following prompts:
Identify and explain the four main aspects of body image: perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Provide examples to make it easier for the readers to understand how they differ and contribute to a person’s overall body image. Add surveys or research findings to support your statements and increase your essay’s credibility.
You don’t create your body image with your eyes alone. Your feelings and thoughts about your body are also part of the equation. These are all the results of your experiences, whether they are positive or negative. For this prompt, share any encounters that affected how you look at your body.
Youngsters in their puberty are the most affected by today’s body image pressures. First, discuss factors that significantly impact how teenagers value themselves. Then, share steps to help young people overcome these issues. You can also write down the causes and warning signs of a negative body image.
Write your opinion about the “beauty” standards in beauty pageants and whether you favor them or not. Talk about its benefits and drawbacks to children, adult participants, and anyone who consumes such media. To demonstrate the severity of these standards, present cases where a contestant’s appearance or body became the matter in question.
The pressures of attaining a perfect body take their toll on an individual’s quality of life. These taxing pressures, such as eating disorders, anxiety, and mood swings, spill over the person’s relations and even hinder everyday living. Therefore, incorporate the importance of maintaining a positive body image to achieve healthy psychological and physical well-being.
Victoria’s Secret, a brand known for its skinny models, hired its first-ever plus-size model in 2019 . Find out why the brand made this significant change and how its customers received it. Include your opinion about the brand’s decision. Add if you believe the company did what it did to start a more diverse line of clothing or because it succumbed to people’s demand of wanting to see more realistic bodies in media.
Although most body image essays are about women, men also cope with self-acceptance. Discuss common problems men have to deal with daily regarding their appearance. Integrate how men are described in books and movies and probe how these visuals can affect a man’s ego. To make your essay more compelling, you can also delve into why there are more rigid rules on beauty standards imposed on women versus men.
Explore what encompasses body shaming and add why people do it. Relay to your readers how it affects people with a history of depression, low self-esteem, trauma, and other mental illnesses. Through this prompt, your essay will help raise awareness against body shaming. You might also be interested in these articles about eating disorders .
One excellent way to improve body image is to tailor what you see, especially on social media. Then, remind yourself that these photos are altered and unnatural. For this essay, list steps that can help protect one’s self-image away from the fake “perfect” bodies flooding mass media. For example, add joining groups highlighting edits in photoshop pictures, etc.
Everyone has something they want to change regarding their appearance. Through this essay, share what you did to overcome the struggles of accepting yourself as you are. You can also recommend books that helped change your perspective.
If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !
If you still need help, our guide to grammar and punctuation explains more.
Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.
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Body image: a better perspective, many people think of body image as a women’s issue or a young person’s issue. in actuality, we all have a perceived body image that affects so many aspects of our lives — including the opportunities we seek. .
What exactly is body image, and how can we cultivate a better, more healthy image so that we get the most out of life? To learn more, we talked to Dr. Kristine Luce , p sychologist and clinical associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Your body image is defined by your personal perception.
Dr. Luce defines body image as how a person thinks of, feels about and perceives their own body, and how a person imagines others perceive their body.
“Body image is an aspect of identity. Most people tend to self-identify by segmenting their lives into different roles. For example, a person may self-identify according to their profession, relationships, hobbies, etc. Body image is one aspect of a person’s complete identity, and within it a person can hold many perceptions, even contradicting perceptions.”
Although body image is commonly understood as having to do with weight and shape, the term actually encompasses all aspects of a person’s perceived physical appearance — including age, facial attributes and gender.
Body image exists on a continuum.
Dr. Luce views body image along a continuum, with “positive body image” on one end, “negative body image” on the other and the middle composed of varying aspects of both.
Dr. Luce describes a positive body image as a healthy self-image, in which a person has self-compassion and appreciation for their body. They recognize the amazing functions of their body and don’t let how they feel about their appearance limit how they live their life. On the other end of the spectrum, a person with a negative body image tends to be strongly self-critical and less attuned to the beneficial capabilities and functions of their bodies.
Most people, however, do not fall on one extreme or the other. The vast majority of people have varying degrees of appreciation and criticism for their bodies. Terms like “positive” and “negative” tend to be inadequate for fully capturing a person’s felt experience, which is generally more nuanced than binary. For example, when speaking about body image, a person may “fragment” and speak about parts of their bodies they like, and parts that they don’t like. Others might describe feeling positive about their bodies overall, but still want to change certain physical aspects.
A person’s body image is dynamic and ever changing throughout the lifespan. People tend to move along a continuum of how they perceive themselves at various stages of life, such as when they age or gain or lose weight.
Many factors contribute to a person’s body image.
Dr. Luce explains that we are constantly inundated with body image messages from many different sources, including history, economics, religion, family of origin and the media, which is the most prevalent.
Luce describes a series of studies conducted in Fiji before western TV was brought to the island. At that time there were no known cases of eating disorders in Fiji. The studies revealed that the first cases of eating and body image disorders emerged after western TV was brought to their culture, indicating that media presence was at least a contributing factor in how people perceived their bodies.
“Culture has long influenced body image by defining and dictating what is attractive. The media is a strong force that can shape and influence culture, for better or for worse.”
Other societal factors, including economic history and religion, can also contribute to one’s body image. Luce mentions that a higher body weight used to be a sign of fertility and wealth when resources were more scarce, but as resources have become more accessible, thinness or fitness is seen as a symbol of wealth because it indicates more time for self-care. For some religious groups, a thinner appearance could indicate a greater ability for fasting, which is associated with the virtue of self-control and used as a measure of spiritual virtue.
Finally, an individual’s personal history and upbringing can influence the way they perceive themselves and their bodies. For example, if someone is raised in a household or social environment in which a person’s value is very closely tied to their physical appearance, a person may begin to perceive their bodies as a measure of their self-worth.
With the constant onslaught of information we are receiving about how we think we should look, Dr. Luce assures us it is understandable if we feel pressure to look a certain way.
Body image can impact the choices we make in our lives.
Put simply, overconcern about appearance can limit what opportunities a person seeks. Dr. Luce gives several examples of this phenomenon, termed “self-handicapping” in social psychology. Self-handicapping is a cognitive strategy in which people avoid an opportunity to protect their self-esteem against the possibility of failure. For example, if a person makes the assumption that they will be discriminated against because of their appearance, they may not go for a promotion.
“Research on this subject shows that a strong enough limiting self-belief can restrict access and experiences throughout the lifespan. This is based on an assumption that may or may not be true.”
Other common examples of self-handicapping due to body image include postponing dating until reaching a particular appearance or avoiding visiting the doctor until reaching a desired weight. According to Luce, these are paradoxical approaches that rarely work, and often bring us further from our desired outcomes.
“When you think about it, most people want to look a certain way for more access in life, whether it be jobs, partners, health or something else. By avoiding promotions, dating and doctor visits due to body image concerns, our access to our desired outcomes becomes more and more limited. On the other hand, people who feel positively in their bodies are more likely to seek out opportunities in all of these areas.”
Negative body image persists throughout different demographic groups.
According to Luce, there used to be evidence that negative body image occurred more for women than for men, and more for white women than for other ethnic groups — but the gap has narrowed over time.
“In the last 20 to 30 years, there has been a proliferation of body image marketing to every ethnic group and gender. Now you can find body image advertising that targets everybody, thus increasing body image concerns and eating disorders across all types of people. I call it, ‘equal opportunity in the direction we were not hoping for.’”
Research conducted in the 1980s showed it was rare for people to feel positive in their bodies, which is a feeling that still persists, according to a 2018 poll .
There are many strategies for cultivating a more positive body image.
Dr. Luce encourages her patients to act according to their values rather than their negative self-beliefs. An example of this would be encouraging someone to go to the beach, if that is what they enjoy, even though they might also feel uncomfortable in a bathing suit. This is called a “cognitive dissonance intervention,” based on the theory that increasing the tension (or dissonance) between a person’s thoughts and actions will eventually create a new belief. Dissonance interventions are really about being aware of one’s values, living in alignment with them and not letting one’s beliefs limit opportunities in life.
“Sometimes the discomfort gets better at first, and sometimes it takes a while. But feeling the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the water can make the volume of those negative thoughts turn down, or at least fade them into the background.”
Another intervention, applied on a more macro scale, is counter-attitudinal marketing, which features people of various body sizes, shapes and ethnicities in advertisements.
“I used to have a lot of optimism around counter-advertising and counter-marketing as a strategy for improving body image across culture. I still believe it can work for people who are open to it.”
However, counter-attitudinal ads represent a very small percentage of mass media and social media images. The vast majority of media displays are not representative of the average body type: many are altered by image editing applications like Photoshop and filters, and some even represent an unhealthy body image. By understanding this fact, and being selective of our media exposure, we can begin to combat some of the negative effects of body image marketing. Luce acknowledges this is not an easy feat:
“Negative body image beliefs are deeply entrenched for some people and changing these thoughts, for some, can be very challenging.”
Luce goes on to describe how undoing a belief can be harder than building a new one, especially when we are exposed to so many media images and messages that are constantly reinforcing certain ideas.
Dr. Luce also encourages us to think about the way we speak about bodies and how this might affect body image for ourselves and our communities.
“We can all refuse to engage in conversations about other people’s bodies. By choosing to not engage in appearance-based conversations, we can influence the world by modeling our values.”
A similar strategy is reconsidering our appearance-based decisions as a message to the world. Dr. Luce admits that she doesn’t color her hair because she doesn’t want to give into the pressures around ageism. However, she acknowledges this type of action can be challenging because ageism and appearance-based discrimination exists in many fields.
“I am a psychologist in academia, so looking ‘old and wise’ is still valued. I recognize there are many people who feel they have to look a certain way to keep their jobs.”
Although we may not all be able to take such a strong action, everybody can do something to show the perception of feeling comfortable in the body they have. By choosing an alternative action that goes against societal pressures around body image, we can make changes that influence ourselves and the world around us.
Dr. Luce closes with a note of encouragement. “Body image is not static. Throughout life we move along a continuum of how we perceive ourselves. Regardless of how we feel about it at any given moment, we can have a full and meaningful life in the bodies we have.”
Mia Primeau July 2020
Select resources: Stanford Health Image Body Program The Body Positive Stanford Research Project Stanford Children’s Health: Boost Your Teen Daughter’s Body Image National Eating Disorders: The Body Project
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Essay: Finding peace with my body image
Rachel Armany, a freshman majoring in journalism, is a Hatchet opinions writer.
Early memories have the power to shape who you are. Everyone has experienced specific things that have influenced how they act and think as an adult. Unfortunately, in my life, many of my formative moments centered around my struggles with body image.
For most of my life, I have been very aware of how others perceive the way I look. My tendency to analyze social interactions in several aspects of my life is sometimes helpful, but often forces me to be harder on myself and the way I look. Ever since I was in high school, whenever I’m around someone I don’t know well – perhaps at a job interview or a school orientation – I actively use body language to make myself appear thinner.
I’m not unique in disliking parts of myself. Most people have things they wish they could change about their appearance. But my size isn’t just something I’ve struggled with “liking.” From a young age, I have believed my weight and appearance were how I would be defined and would dictate how others treat me. I began to think that any weight I gained would just be more of a reason for people to dislike me and that any weight that I lost would account for my popularity.
I never thought less of anyone else who gained weight – it was a completely personal struggle. When it came to my body, I felt like I had to compensate: I had to be funny or smart or artsy to avoid being defined by my physical appearance.
I started to notice that my body didn’t look like my friends’ when I was in fourth grade. I remember sitting with my best friend and asking, “Do you think I’m fat?” Given our age and lack of any education or discussion on body image, she was startled by my question and immediately responded, “No, of course not.” But her response didn’t comfort me. I felt like she said those words out of pity. My friend didn’t mean any harm. In fact, she probably meant to make me feel better. But since then, I have been hyper aware of my body because I realized that the way I see myself isn’t the same as how others see me.
My confidence in my body and weight hasn’t always been dictated by the number on a scale or by the way I feel. But rather, hearing people talk about weight gain as a negative has affected how I feel about myself. One friend always used to tell me I’m on “the good side of plus-sized.” Although that might be an innocent enough statement, all it does is tell me that I’m overweight but not in an aesthetically displeasing way. The statement indirectly warns me of the “bad side of plus-sized” – the scary fate that is being overweight enough to claim the title of “the fat girl.”
Being on the “good side of plus-sized” comes with complications. My mom’s friends used to question her on what she let me eat because they feared I would “get fat.” In middle school, I felt like I had to prove to my friends that I was active and healthy. And even today, I worry over normal weight fluctuations – all to try and avoid people sharing their “concerns” with my size. Although those people might think they’re just looking out for me, they should not feel compelled to comment on my weight if I am not at risk for health problems.
Discussing body image is difficult, especially as a young girl, and even now as an adult. Talking about insecurities is always scary. But with body image, people are quick to tell you that things are just in your head if they aren’t expressing their concerns about you. Even today, hearing things like, “You’re not even fat” does little to help me. Hearing that confirms that if I were a bit heavier I should feel bad about myself and makes me even more fearful that people will judge me for gaining weight.
What I have found to be most helpful is when people allow me to speak openly about why I feel the way I do about my body and talk with me about accepting myself – not about changing it. For example, a positive conversation is one that encourages me to exercise because it makes me feel better, not because I should lose some extra weight. Those conversations are the ones that contribute to my self confidence, because I feel that my voice is being heard, even though the discussion may be more uncomfortable than a friend simply saying I’m not fat.
I understand that sometimes friends or family members may not always know how to respond to someone struggling with the way they look. Those closest to us love us the way we are and want us to accept ourselves, too. So I remain patient with the people in my life, but I am also honest with them. I try to let people know as often as I can when I feel like they are not taking an issue seriously or they are attempting to take the easy way out of an awkward encounter. Ultimately my problems are my own – it is up to me to work on them – but having these conversations with people who care about me helps.
Though my personal struggle with my weight is ongoing, I have made great strides in learning how to live with the body I have. I am beginning to listen to my body and understand how it works in order to develop a healthy lifestyle. I hope to stop overanalyzing and keep developing my confidence, instead of treating a number on a scale as the key to a better life.
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What Students Are Saying About How Social Media Affects Their Body Image
A recent article put a spotlight on how social media can fuel body dysmorphia in boys. We asked teenagers how these apps make them feel about the way they look.
By The Learning Network
Please note: This post is part of The Learning Network’s ongoing Current Events Conversation feature in which we invite students to react to the news via our daily writing prompts and publish a selection of their comments each week.
In “ What Is ‘Bigorexia’? ” Alex Hawgood reports on a social media landscape dominated by muscle-building content and fitness influencers, and how it affects the way increasing numbers of teenage boys feel about their own bodies.
As we regularly do when The Times writes about an issue that touches the lives of young people, we used our daily Student Opinion forum to ask teenagers to share their perspectives on social media and body image.
Many students said that social media has been “detrimental” to the way they feel about their looks, and that even though they are aware it doesn’t show the full picture, they still struggle not to compare themselves to the people they see online. They grappled, too, with the heart of the article: male body image issues and why boys and men might have a harder time talking about them. And others shared that sometimes social media can be a positive influence on their health, motivating them to make changes or just accept their bodies the way they are.
Thank you to all those from around the world who joined the conversation this week, including teenagers from Great Neck, N.Y.; Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas; and Taiwan .
Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.
Many Teenagers Agreed That Social Media Has Been Harmful to Their Body Image and Self-Esteem.
Social media greatly affects my body image. There are beautiful people online, and with TikTok’s “that girl” or “small waist” trends, I wonder why I can’t have the same flat, toned stomach or the same tiny, hourglass waist despite all the exercising and healthy eating I do. Recently I have been feeling bad about my appearance, fully knowing that I have a healthy body and that I should be grateful to have a body that other girls want.
This leads me to another question, about the line between fit and fanatical. I have seen weight loss videos that make no physical sense, and I know girls take unreasonable measures to achieve their goals. But even knowing that it can be unhealthy, I can’t help but ask myself if just a little overexercising or a little starvation could pay off.
— Katie, Great Neck, NY
Growing up with social media in this day and age is absolutely detrimental to one’s self esteem and view of their own body. There are hundreds of influencers that are praised for having the perfect body when chances are, it’s completely edited. Which gives off the impression that you can’t feel comfortable in your skin without using FaceTune. Beyond that, for those who are blind to the amount of editing being done, are put under the impression that if you aren’t “perfectly” skinny or your stomach isn’t toned and flat then you aren’t beautiful. I have struggled with body confidence and I find myself deleting Instagram whenever it gets too bad because I am subconsciously wishing I looked like the girls on my feed.
— Sarah, Wheaton
From time to time, I scroll and scroll and subtly wish I had the charm and charisma, and in rare cases the body types of other men. Now, I do not have the most buff body type, justifying my common thought process … For example, in a post that blew up, people commented on any negative detail they could find about me. Some commented on my lanky, lean stature, which led to insecure thoughts. I thought I had to “appear” stronger so I would not have been made fun of.
— Alain, Valley Stream
Influencers share their “what I eat in a day” videos, and while their intentions may not be malicious, comparison truly becomes the thief of joy. You start wondering about how much you should be eating. Are you over-consuming? Are you eating too much sugar? Should you be eating after eight pm? Is this cookie worth it when, like they say, “summer is just around the corner?” While I admit that I have benefited from some nutritional information that has been taught by professionals on apps like TikTok and Instagram, the perpetuation of unrealistic beauty standards has been overwhelmingly detrimental for me.
— Ava, Los Angeles
I’ve been battling anorexia for almost two years, but I’ve been hateful towards my body since at least 2016. I still have marks from where my 3rd-grade self scratched the measurements of my waist and hips in pencil on my bathroom door. Back then, I was watching the YouTubers of the mid-2010s, who looked effortlessly flawless showing their midriffs in halter tops and mini skirts, when I could never feel confident wearing the same things, despite being slender.
During the pandemic, I increased my consumption of social media and began to feel “inspired” by all the ultrathin supermodels and heroin-chic movie stars of the 90s and 00s that were glorified by nostalgic Instagram pages. My explore page was tuned to my sudden interest in 1200-calorie meal plans and Victoria’s Secret ab workouts. Every time I opened Instagram, I was motivated to cut my portion sizes and to exercise even more. I felt proud of the sudden protrusion of my collarbones and ribs, the smallness of my wrists, the sharpness of my jawline. What I didn’t know is that I was slipping down a very steep slope, altering my brain and rendering myself potentially infertile.
Mr. Hawgood’s quote, “The line between getting fit and fanatical is not always clear,” is incredibly true. At some point, I crossed that line, but I couldn’t tell you when or where. All I know is that being thin became an obsession, and my relationship with food and exercise hasn’t been the same since 2020.
— LB, Hoggard High School, Wilmington NC
When I was in fifth grade I got Instagram and at first I was obsessed … It was all so new, but eventually I realized there was “no harm.” I regret thinking that. I would follow all the celebrities my friends did and it started to make me look at them differently. I would look at where they were and what they were wearing and compare it to my life. I started to feel inadequate about the way I dressed and looked …
Eventually, I couldn’t stand the unhappiness of it all and I deleted the app. At first it felt weird. I would turn my phone to check it and nothing was there, in the end I forgot about it and I am better because of it. Social media makes you feel like you are less than you are.
— Laura, J.R. Masterman Philadelphia PA
Social media does affect the way I see my body. As someone who struggles with gender dysphoria, it can be difficult to see others online who I think look better than me. For a few years now, I found out that I’m transgender. Unfortunately, until I’m old enough to start my transition, I look very feminine. I want to appear more masculine, but for now there isn’t much I can do. The ability to see so many people online, in this case, other trans people who pass more than I do or seem to have a better transition than me, can be really frustrating …
I do still struggle with my dysphoria, and I still sometimes struggle with making comparisons. But social media has also given me a place of comfort, knowing that others struggle and relate like I do and that I’m not alone in this experience.
— Ashton, HHHS
And That Men and Boys Face Unique Pressures …
I believe that there is a significant gap when talking about female’s body images versus male’s. Not only in social media but also in real world connections, males are taught differently than girls about how to think about their struggles and insecurities. People seem to notice the struggles female’s face when it comes to body image issues, but it is all too common for them to overlook the struggles that males face. Society directly talks about the negative effects of social media on female’s body images, but talks around male’s. They are often discouraged to share their struggles and sometimes even ignored when attempting to share.
— Devynne, Comets
I feel that oftentimes men are discouraged from sharing about the struggles or insecurities they may face in relation to their bodies. Unfortunately, I think society has pinned body image issues as more of a “women’s issue,” which is inaccurate. All individuals, regardless of gender, can suffer with body image issues. I think it’s important that there are safe spaces for men to discuss their own personal struggles with body image insecurities. When we help all people, not just those identifying as female, with their body image issues, society as a whole improves as it becomes more accepting of all individuals and their respective struggles.
— Sam, Valley Stream North
It is very frustrating that there still exists a negative stigma around males suffering from eating disorders and body dysmorphia. It is alarmingly common that males begin to feel a consuming, self-destructive pressure to become “jacked” from a young age. I see my own friends taking creatine, feeling guilty for not getting their daily “pump,” and force-feeding themselves obscene amounts of protein. But they’re helpless — being male and vulnerable results in ridicule. This type of isolation and struggle will ruin a person’s life and health …
— Katharine, Long Island
… and Hurdles to Talking About Their Struggles.
Before men were taught to hide how they felt because if they did they were considered less of a man. Now people want men to express how they feel but they are still ashamed for sharing their feelings, especially on social media because if they share too much they will be mocked for it by being told they’re acting like a little girl.
— Edgar, John H Francis Polytechnic HS
I feel as if men are reluctant to share their insecurities related to their bodies due to the fact that they are afraid they won’t hear any positive reinforcement. Some males feel as if it is necessary to compete with one another and I think that if they do share their insecurities, it will hurt their “ego.” I think this is all part of a more prominent issue, toxic masculinity, which makes people feel that they must be the protector and fit if they want to compete with others and succeed. Personally, I would not share my struggle with others because I don’t think my friends would care or give any positive reinforcement that would push me forwards.
— Menash, New York
For men, there is often competition to be physically strong as well as emotionally strong. Social media images of “strong” men influence younger and younger boys who change their eating, exercise, and social habits. Although acceptance of men sharing feelings of insecurity has improved, society still expects men to be strong and not subject to such feelings or influences.
— Kristina G., Miami Country Day School, FL
I feel that in a society that values qualities of strength, stability, and resiliency in men, a trend exists where they are discouraged from talking about emotions and struggles as a whole, but especially in sharing struggles or insecurities related to their bodies. Most males associate the sharing of emotions and hardships as a sign of weakness. Of vulnerability. Considering that body image and disorders are also highly associated with women and is rarely applied to men, I would believe that this would only further deter men from possibly speaking out about their issues. Men also tend to draw a connection between their physical attributes, such as height or muscular strength, directly to personal traits about themselves and other men. A man who is taller and has larger muscles is seen as more powerful and dominant, while a shorter man is regarded in an opposite manner. By admitting to issues with body image, I feel that men would see this as an equivalent to an emotional attack on their character which opens the door for what they feel are unwanted conversations and opinions.
— Sasha, Great Neck, New York
Some Said Following Body-Positive Content Can Be Encouraging.
I find that I encounter more body positive content than negative. The reason for this though depends who you follow and surround yourself with, and I make sure to surround myself and follow those who encourage me instead of putting me down. When I see body positive content on social media I find that it just makes me fell normal for the body I have. Positive content can show people that your body doesn’t define you, and that you shouldn’t worry about having the smallest waist or biggest muscles. The thing it promotes most though is that if you want to get in shape and be healthier then the only person you should do it for is yourself.
— Alexis, Hanover Horton High School
I have encountered body-positive videos on social media. I think it is very helpful to show people regular bodies and people who are happy in the body they are in. It makes me feel better and happier that people can see what everyday people look like. Not super models and not edited people.
— Lila, J.R. Masterman in Philadelphia, PA
Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I have encountered a lot of body-positive content, though the majority of it is directed toward women. A big trend I’ve seen in body-positive messaging has been the rise of “anti-dieting,” or trying to undo the harm of unhealthy, dangerous restrictions people place on their eating. I want to believe these posts and find some sort of acceptance with what I eat on the daily, but it’s difficult for my mind not to default to worry or concern that others are eating less. Though these posts may be successful in changing some viewers’ opinions on what they eat and motivating them to consider food as a pleasure instead of a burden, they are dwarfed by the sheer quantity of workout posts dominating social media. So, while I think body-positive content on social media certainly helps a small amount of people, it’s probably not going to be enough to offset the damage done by the myriad posts on the supposed glamor of dieting, modeling, and strenuous exercise.
— Jonathan, Great Neck, N.Y.
Some “body positive” influencers argue that showing their imperfections eliminates the damaging and unattainable standards for one’s body on social media and boosts self confidence of social media users. However, models and influencers continue to post perfected images of their bodies with no claims to photoshop or plastic surgery, still enforcing this impossible beauty standard on social media. These influencers might argue that if people with “imperfect” bodies are allowed to flaunt themselves on social media, why can’t they? Some even claim that the insecurities and body image issues some social media users face are not their problem, and they should still be allowed to share their bodies. My own opinion, is that these influencers do create a toxic environment on social media, and personally, I feel insecure after years of scrolling through social media and seeing the bodies of influencers and the praising comments that follow.
— Charlotte, Glen Bard West
Others Said That Influencers Can Provide Motivation for Improvement.
Social Media does not negatively affect the way I feel about my body, nor has it made me feel bad about the way I look. Instead, looking at other males who have nice muscular bodies on social media motivates me to get stronger and more confident in myself since most males I see on social media encourage others to move forward with their lives and not dwell in the past.
One message on social media that I have received … is that I need my body to look healthy and jacked in my own eyes. This is good advice for teenagers since it projects to them that they should be the ones ultimately satisfied with their bodies while staying healthy …
— Augustine, Valley Stream North
Sometimes when I scroll through Instagram or TikTok, I see influencers showing off their routines/diets for getting fit. It doesn’t necessarily make me feel bad about my body, instead it motivates me to push on and try to achieve the body I want. So far, my improvement has made me feel good both mentally and physically. I feel more energetic, confident and happy while also having a plus of being stronger.
— Julian, Valley Stream
I am constantly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram and I often come across gym influencers. When I see them I become more inspired than self-conscious, it kind of serves as a reminder of what you can achieve if you work hard enough. Also, most fitness influencers try to bring up their followers. They post their workout routines and their diets to help their following better themselves …
I relate more to Bobby in his opinion on social media, he says “Those guys made me realize I wanted to get bodies like them and post stuff like them.” I agree with what he says about social media influencers being role models for those starting out going to the gym. They can provide necessary guidance for beginners in the gym as well as a model for what they want to achieve.
— James, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC
Social media I think has a large impact on how people seem themselves, like explained in the article when seeing all those different people and how much better or popular they are makes some people want to change. That isn’t always a bad thing though because it could just be that one little push that could help someone become healthier ad better. To me it hasn’t made me feel bad or good about the way that I look, but definitely helped me with wanting to get into shape and be better overall.
— Jameson, Syracuse, New York
Social media has not affected the way I feel about my body in any way. Yes, as I scroll through TikTok, I see many men and even teenagers with insane ripped physiques, but never have I felt anxious or inferior to them. I know that they excel in the area of bodybuilding and athletics, but I also know that I excel in different areas such as music and academics. I am proud to be who I am, but I would also like to be like those gym influencers since that would not hurt as it would only benefit me.
— Bidipta, Valley Stream North
Just Remember, Teens Warned, Social Media Doesn’t Show You the Full Picture of Someone’s Life.
I think it is important as a social media user to keep in mind that one’s account is only a glimpse in that person’s life, and for every good picture, there’s dozens of pictures that they do not like. It is a controlled platform and many use filters, photoshop, or other editing tools to their advantage. But then again, something I never quite understood with people arguing that social media is toxic for body image is that nobody is forcing you to use and scroll on that platform; it is everyone’s choice to download the app and pick who they follow. Don’t let what others look like get in your head. Do things for you and lift each other up. Same thing with working out. Make sure you take care of yourself first and foremost, and practice self love each step of the way.
— Zoe, New York
Social media gives us a certain image of how a girl or guys body is supposed to look like and sometimes that image does get in our head. Personally sometimes I do think “oh why cant I look like that” but then you got to realize we’re just all different and sometimes that social media image is photoshopped or just not even real. …
— Paulina, New Mexico
The key to successfully promoting exercise and healthy habits is to show balance: fitness TikTokers should equally promote the parts of their day where they have dessert, go out to dinner with their friends, and take days off. Vulnerable and insecure adolescents who see lifestyles purely focused on exercise and physique are doomed to fall into the trap of eating disorders and isolation.
— Maya, Great Neck, New York
It is difficult to completely blame my poor body image on social media. In reality, it was there long before I downloaded Instagram or Snapchat. However, recently I have noticed myself spending longer and longer staring at random girls that pop up on my For You Page. The simple images of these strangers allows me to compare myself to them. Rather than focusing on my best traits, I focus on what I lack, such as long legs and blonde hair.
In some ways, it gets easier and easier to make these toxic comparisons, however what I often fail to realize is that I am seeing what people want me to see. Posts on social media are typically carefully planned photos that allow people to hide, what they deem, the worst parts of themselves. What is truly the most disturbing is the amount of time I spend tearing myself down based on people I do not know and most likely will never know. Social media in my hands is a rather dangerous entity because it allows me to see the worst parts of myself. Even when trying to escape from its horrid negativity, by bouncing from one app to the next, I am always surrounded by more reasons to feel inferior.
— Grace, RI
In my case, social media has definitely affected the way I feel about myself and my body, due to the many unrealistic standards that are set on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Users on these platforms usually post at times they feel and look their best, often neglecting their usual day-to-day appearances. Social media has caused me to feel as if I have to look a certain way at all times of the day, even though it is clear that 15-second TikTok clips of gorgeous users show just that: only 15 seconds of their day.
— Nikita, New York
On social media, there are many posts disseminating negative messages. They tell you how you should eat, how many times you should exercise, how weight you should be, how tall you should be, and so on. In the end, I hope I can tell anyone who is caring about how you “should” look or having an appearance anxiety that: If you could be yourself, you are perfect.
— Sira, Taiwan
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The Importance of Body Positivity
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Best Media Essay Examples
Body image and the media.
1074 words | 4 page(s)
How do we decide what is a beautiful body? At first sight, this question seems to be ridiculous for most people are convinced that their perception of the ‘right’ body parameters is something they are born with. In the meantime, the research on this question reveals that this perception is largely formed by the outside world and especially by how the media presents body standards. Since there have been a lot of debates regarding the problem of distorted body images stimulated by the media, it was decided to research this problem in details. The research has revealed that idealized thin images used in the media are associated with such adverse effects as low self-esteem, depression, and the development of poor eating habits. In this regard, scholars and researchers alike hypothesize solutions to this problem include media literacy, the use of average-sized models, and the education on the myths and realities of media representation. This paper will present the key research findings beginning with the specific adverse effects that are described in the literature and finishing with the possible ways to minimize these effects (i.e. increasing media literacy and using the images of average-sized models instead of idealized models).
First and foremost, the researchers studying the problem of body image and the media agree on the point that the use of idealized body images in the media has an adverse effect on how individuals perceive themselves and their bodies. Thus, for example, Haas et al. (2016) argue that the negative consequences of an exposure to idealized media imagery include lowered self-esteem, depression, and negative self-perception. The researchers’ hypothesis is underpinned by their study which uses a large sample 160 female college students.
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Similarly, Diedrichs and Lee (2011) assert that the exposure to distorted body images in the media (that is the images of unnaturally thin models) are associated with the dissatisfaction with the body and the development of eating disorders. Moreover, the research by Mclean, Paxton, and Wertheim (2016) reveals that some individuals are more vulnerable than others in this regard. Thus, they explain that those who have higher critical thinking ability are better protected from the negative media effect since they can differentiate between idealized (and, importantly, fake) model images in the media and the reality. It follows, then, that the problem of body image and the media is one of those themes that should be necessarily discussed within the frame of the health communication discourse and that the central question, here, is related to how the adverse effects that the media produces on body perception can be minimized.
Second, one possible solution to minimize the adverse effect of the media on body perception, as it can be determined from the review of the literature in the given field, is media literacy. This protective factor is described in the study by Mclean et al. (2016). In this study, the researchers use CTTM scale and STAC to evaluate the level of media literacy and beliefs about body in 259 secondary students who compose the sample. Based on the study findings, Mclean et al. (2016) come to the conclusion that developed critical thinking allows students to better differentiate between idealized model bodies and the real healthy body parameters. The researchers, thereby, conclude that this critical thinking can be developed with the help of media literacy training which should help to teach individuals to protect themselves from illusions about body standards and to understand that the images offered by the media are not related to the reality. Thus, it can be argued that media literacy or, more specifically, the increase of media literacy in individuals is a strategy that can be used to solve, to some extent, the problem of distorted perception of body caused by the exposure to idealized body images in the media. The question, consequently, arises as to the specific measures that should be taken to increase media literacy.
Finally, it has turned out that media literacy can be increased not only by the individuals who want to increase it but also by the media that can change its approach to body representation. In this regard, Diedrichs and Lee (2011) assert that the media should make a shift from presenting body through idealized thin models to presenting it through normal average-sized models. Otherwise stated, they suggest that the problem should be solved by eliminating the cause. The researchers’ hypothesis is underpinned by the study with a large sample composed of 291 Australians aged 17-25 years old. It can be, thereby, concluded that the problem of distorted body image caused by the exposure to idealized media images can and should be addressed from both sides: on the one hand, individuals should develop their critical thinking skills to protect themselves from adopting idealized media images as a model and, on the other hand, the media should avoid using idealized images given the adverse psychological effect that they produce on individuals and that has been proven by many studies. To summarize, it can be concluded that the exposure to idealized body images in the media poses significant threats to an individual. Apart from the direct psychological threats such as low self-esteem and depression, there are also indirect physical threats such as the development of eating disorders. One possible way to address this problem is to increase media literacy in individuals so that they can better differentiate between normal body standards and abnormal images presented by thin models in the media. Interestingly, it has been found out that the problem should be likewise addressed on the part of the media: it should avoid using the images of idealized model bodies given the adverse effects they produce on individuals. These findings constitute a solid base for a discussion that can be held in the frame of health communications discourse. This discussion should elucidate such themes as the threats that media poses to individuals and, more specifically, the way they perceive their bodies as well as the available solutions to prevent these threats.
- Diedrichs, P. C., & Lee, C. (2011). Waif goodbye! Average-size female models promote positive body image and appeal to consumers. Psychology & Health, 26(10), 1273-1291. doi:10.1080/08870446.2010.515308
- Haas, C. J., Pawlow, L. A., Pettibone, J., & Segrist, D. J. (2016). An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem. College Student Journal, 405-418. Retrieved March 25, 2018
- Mclean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., & Wertheim, E. H. (2016). Does Media Literacy Mitigate Risk for Reduced Body Satisfaction Following Exposure to Thin-Ideal Media? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(8), 1678-1695. doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0440-3
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The Media and Body Image
Favorite Quote: success is acheived through hardwork
One's body is what makes us who we are. Every single person is unique due to an individual physical trait. Even though everyone has an opinion about what his or her perfect body would be, changing one's personal features would take away from individuality. I personally would never have plastic surgery because when I look at myself, I do not see a tall, skinny young man with a funny looking nose and big "bug" eyes, rather I see a beautifully sculpted masterpiece that God has made just for me. I take pride in the fact that there is no one else on this earth exactly like me. Not just my inner beauty, but my outer beauty makes me different from everyone else. Life would be so boring if everyone looked exactly the same. I personally could not be more content and happy with my body image. What’s body image? Body image is how people picture themselves and how they think other people picture them. It is basically how you feel about your body, and it includes your perception, imagination, emotions, and physical sensations. Mass media has been able to shape popular culture and often influence public opinion. However, when abused, the power of media can harm the general population. Images portrayed by the media tend to make people strive to be someone else's idea of perfect while subconsciously ignoring their own goals. Stereotypes formed by the media that include thin, tanned women, and wealthy, muscular men have led to a decline in self-acceptance. The majority of media today often present the perfect body to the public, hoping that consumers will strive to achieve fitness using a certain product or idea. While this form of advertising may somewhat increase a product's market share, many people suffer from inner conflicts as a result of failure to achieve the body of a top athlete or fashion model. As a result of these body images projected by the media, men and women have encountered physical problems, including bulimia, anorexia, employment of harmful dietary plans, low self-esteem, and depression. Unless reality is discerned from what is presented in certain media, some people will continue to suffer. Consumers could find the truth more easily if media offered products advertised by everyday people without the entire extra glamour. In addition to this, if the public could view adverts only as something to get one's attention and not a portrayal of how one should look, there would be fewer problems. Until either is accomplished, the negative effects will be felt by the vulnerable, and companies will continue to make their money. Consumers which are given a false impression about a product through various forms of media are the ones who suffer most from our society's portrayal of the perfect body. After being influenced by a television commercial or a magazine pictorial, certain people in this world will purchase an item hoping that the same success shown in the media will be achieved by them as well. The truth of the matter is that this hardly ever happens. Every day, people who feel unattractive wear sensual cologne, and those who are not athletic wear Carl Lewis track shoes; mentally, some may feel an improvement but in reality nothing has changed. Realization of this fact leads to the demise of many individuals' self - pride. The severity of both the mental and physical damage done to the person depends on the case. Some may resort to extreme diets, more unnecessary spending, or a decline in social activity. After being rejected at a local bar despite the bath he took in Polo Sport, Jerry might finally understand that his appearance or personality is the problem, not his cologne. The mental effects of the mass media's portrayal of the perfect body can cause people to resort to unhealthy methods of losing weight to attain that athletic look that so many desire. For instance, men and women who think they are overweight do not eat, for the simple fact that “they want to lose weight” which can result to eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. Bulimia is a food disorder caused by mental insecurities and doctors recommend that people who suffer bulimia should see a psychiatrist, and the symptoms include compulsive exercise, taking laxatives, and throwing up, which can cause one's body to become short on electrolytes. Anorexia is a similar condition in which one loses exorbitant amounts of weight often by eating very little and vomiting a small amount of food that is actually consumed. Also men who think they are not muscular take harmful substances such as steroids to build up their muscles, a dangerous act that might endanger their health. In the past, both men and women (predominately men) who were slightly overweight used a fat burning drug known as Redux. It was designed for obese individuals, but the off-label use of such drugs became rampant due to advertising techniques by the manufacturers. Many people, including doctors, who were slightly overweight used the drug and have experienced pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease, and neurotoxicity. Other drugs, such as steroids, have been widely proven to cause brain cancer, stunted growth, and shrinkage of the testes .Many student-athletes use these performance enhancers in an attempt to become as muscular as the men often portrayed by media. This problem is also present in female teenagers as well. To some girls, steroid use is comparable to diet pills and laxatives. The abuse of these drugs is partly a result of inaccurate advertising as well as the young person's desire to look and perform as well as the superstars shown in various forms of media. The influence the media has on teenagers (especially girls) is becoming greater and more dangerous every day. Advertisements and the media set out with only one intention: to make a profit. However, along the way they are altering the reality of body image and leading girls to believe beauty is only skin deep. Flip through the channels on your television and you will find gorgeous skinny star icons that make healthy young girls feel like they need to be prettier in order to be noticed. The media affects a girl’s mind in such a negative manner that it often causes these girls to look at themselves in dissatisfaction and disgust. When girls see the models in a Victoria's Secret commercial they think only one thing: "Why can't I look like that?" After they examine the models, they then compare their bodies to that of the models they see on television; if the girl's ribs do not show or her legs are not as long as the models, she may ultimately begin to think she is unattractive. When girls think this about themselves, their self-esteem is lowered and their confidence is lost. Self-esteem is the opinion and value you have for yourself. Low self-esteem is often caused by the lack of positive body image, which almost every girl in America can relate to. It has been reported that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy with their bodies." This grows to be 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. Having a low self-esteem may seem like an insignificant effect to some; however, it leads to much more serious problems that can even result in dire consequences. According to I Am Beautiful, a program created to help girls with low self-esteem issues to build their confidence, "girls with low self-esteem are more likely to suffer from depression, consider or attempt suicide, or be more willing to engage in unhealthy sexual activity." Although it is not impossible to restore one's self esteem, it is difficult and may require professional attention such as a therapist for the individuals to accept themselves for who they are. In conclusion, body image is not to be taken lightly. People should make up their minds that they will not be negatively influenced by the media. In doing this, the public can view the media for what it truly is, a means of conveying information or providing entertainment. Good common sense should tell a woman that the overly attractive person in an advertisement is a model and should be admired for her beauty; all women are not required to look like a model to be attractive. The process of differentiating fact from fiction in adverts cannot be described on paper. It can only happen in the mind of the individuals. It is true that some messages are sent subliminally, but if consumers would appreciate advertisement for what it actually is, much of these ordeals could be avoided.
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8 Overcoming Challenges College Essay Examples
The purpose of the Overcoming Challenges essay is for schools to see how you might handle the difficulties of college. They want to know how you grow, evolve, and learn when you face adversity. For this topic, there are many clichés , such as getting a bad grade or losing a sports game, so be sure to steer clear of those and focus on a topic that’s unique to you. (See our full guide on the Overcoming Challenges Essay for more tips).
These overcoming challenges essay examples were all written by real students. Read through them to get a sense of what makes a strong essay. At the end, we’ll present the revision process for the first essay and share some resources for improving your essay.
Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.
Essay 1: Becoming a Coach
“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.
Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.
Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.
Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.
I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.
At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.
Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.
Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.
Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.
Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.
This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly their dejectedness, at not being able to compete.
Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. The writer shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side.
One area of improvement of this essay would be the “attack” wording. The author likely uses this word as a metaphor for martial arts, but it feels too strong to describe the adults’ doubt of the student’s abilities as a coach, and can even be confusing at first.
Still, we see the student’s resilience as they are able to move past the disbelieving looks to help their team. The essay is kept real and vulnerable, however, as the writer admits having doubts: Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.
The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.
Essay 2: Starting a Fire
Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire.
Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family.
Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt.
“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.
In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him.
Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses.
That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.
This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading.
The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”
The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”
One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward.
The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.
Essay 3: Last-Minute Switch
The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his stance and my own.
As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me. “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.” Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me. I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.
Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants and certain inconsistencies in testimonies. My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates. While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge, i t now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.
At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.
Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.
This essay is an excellent example because it focuses on a unique challenge and is highly engaging. The writer details their experience reversing their stance in a Model UN trial with only a few hours notice, after having researched and prepared to argue the opposite perspective for a month.
Their essay is written in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. The student openly shares their internal thoughts with us — we feel their anger and panic upon the reversal of roles. We empathize with their emotions of “utter dread” and embarrassment when they’re unable to speak.
From the essay, we learn that the student believes in thorough preparation, but can also adapt to unforeseen obstacles. They’re able to rise to the challenge and put together an impromptu argument, think critically under pressure, and recover after their initial inability to speak.
Essay 4: Music as a Coping Mechanism
CW: This essay mentions self-harm.
Sobbing uncontrollably, I parked around the corner from my best friend’s house. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I whispered the most earnest prayer I had ever offered.
Minutes before, I had driven to Colin’s house to pick up a prop for our upcoming spring musical. When I got there, his older brother, Tom, came to the door and informed me that no one else was home. “No,” I corrected, “Colin is here. He’s got a migraine.” Tom shook his head and gently told me where Colin actually was: the psychiatric unit of the local hospital. I felt a weight on my chest as I connected the dots; the terrifying picture rocked my safe little world. Tom’s words blurred as he explained Colin’s self-harm, but all I could think of was whether I could have stopped him. Those cuts on his arms had never been accidents. Colin had lied, very convincingly, many times. How could I have ignored the signs in front of me? Somehow, I managed to ask Tom whether I could see him, but he told me that visiting hours for non-family members were over for the day. I would have to move on with my afternoon.
Once my tears had subsided a little, I drove to the theater, trying to pull myself together and warm up to sing. How would I rehearse? I couldn’t sing three notes without bursting into tears. “I can’t do this,” I thought. But then I realized that the question wasn’t whether I could do it. I knew Colin would want me to push through, and something deep inside told me that music was the best way for me to process my grief. I needed to sing.
I practiced the lyrics throughout my whole drive. The first few times, I broke down in sobs. By the time I reached the theater, however, the music had calmed me. While Colin would never be far from my mind, I had to focus on the task ahead: recording vocals and then producing the video trailer that would be shown to my high school classmates. I fought to channel my worry into my recording. If my voice shook during the particularly heartfelt moments, it only added emotion and depth to my performance. I felt Colin’s absence next to me, but even before I listened to that first take, I knew it was a keeper.
With one of my hurdles behind me, I steeled myself again and prepared for the musical’s trailer. In a floor-length black cape and purple dress, I swept regally down the steps to my director, who waited outside. Under a gloomy sky that threatened to turn stormy, I boldly strode across the street, tossed a dainty yellow bouquet, and flashed confident grins at all those staring. My grief lurched inside, but I felt powerful. Despite my sadness, I could still make art.
To my own surprise, I successfully took back the day. I had felt pain, but I had not let it drown me – making music was a productive way to express my feelings than worrying. Since then, I have been learning to take better care of myself in difficult situations. That day before rehearsal, I found myself in the most troubling circumstances of my life thus far, but they did not sink me because I refused to sink. When my aunt developed cancer several months later, I knew that resolution would not come quickly, but that I could rely on music to cope with the agony, even when it would be easier to fall apart. Thankfully, Colin recovered from his injuries and was home within days. The next week, we stood together on stage at our show’s opening night. As our eyes met and our voices joined in song, I knew that music would always be our greatest mechanism for transforming pain into strength.
This essay is well-written, as we can feel the writer’s emotions through the thoughts they share, and visualize the night of the performance through their rich descriptions. Their varied sentence length also makes the essay more engaging.
That said, this essay is not a great example because of the framing of the topic. The writer can come off as insensitive since they make their friend’s struggle about themself and their emotions (and this is only worsened by the mention of their aunt’s cancer and how it was tough on them ). The essay would’ve been stronger if it focused on their guilt of not recognizing their friend’s struggles and spanned a longer period of time to demonstrate gradual relationship building and reflection. Still, this would’ve been difficult to do well.
In general, you should try to choose a challenge that is undeniably your own, and you should get at least one or two people to read your essay to give you candid feedback.
Essay 5: Dedicating a Track
“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.
Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.
Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.
They didn’t bite.
Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.
Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin.
The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.
Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.
While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.
The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.
One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.
The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.
The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.
While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.
Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.
Essay 6: Body Image
CW: This essay mentions eating disorders.
I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.
I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.
When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.
By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.
Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?
This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?
The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.
We can see that the writer of this essay has been through a lot, and a strength of their essay is their vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”
The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.
The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members.
Still, this essay shows us that this student is honest, self-aware, and caring, which are all qualities admissions officer are looking for.
Essay 7: Health Crisis
Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life.
Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.
My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.
Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.
This essay feels real and tells readers a lot about the writer. To start at the beginning, the intro is 10/10. It has drama, it has emotions, and it has the reader wanting more.
And, when you keep going, you get to learn a lot about a very resilient and mature student. Through sentences like “I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover” and “Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities,” the reader shows us that they are aware of their resilience and maturity, but are not arrogant about it. It is simply a fact that they have proven through their actions!
This essay makes us want to cheer for the writer, and they certainly seem like someone who would thrive in a more independent college environment.
Essay 8: Turned Tables
“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.
Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.
When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.
As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.
Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.
We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.
We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.
My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.
Here you can find a prime example that you don’t have to have fabulous imagery or flowery prose to write a successful essay. You just have to be clear and say something that matters. This essay is simple and beautiful. It almost feels like having a conversation with a friend and learning that they are an even better person than you already thought they were.
Through this narrative, readers learn a lot about the writer—where they’re from, what their family life is like, what their challenges were as a kid, and even their sexuality. We also learn a lot about their values—notably, the value they place on awareness, improvement, and consideration of others. Though they never explicitly state it (which is great because it is still crystal clear!), this student’s ending of “I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story” shows that they are constantly striving for improvement and finding lessons anywhere they can get them in life.
Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essays Edited
Do you want feedback on your Overcoming Challenges essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.
If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!
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Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff
What do you think you look like? Body image is the mental representation an individual creates of themselves, but it may or may not bear any relation to how one actually appears. Body image is subject to all kinds of distortions from the attitudes of one's parents, other early experiences, internal elements like emotions or moods, and other factors. The severe form of poor body image is body dysmorphic disorder, where dissatisfaction over a slight or undetectable defect in appearance becomes a severe obsession.
- The Dangers of Negative Body Image
- Who Suffers from Distortion?
- Overcoming Poor Body Image
- Signs of Poor Body Image
Poor body image can affect a person in many ways, including performance in academics or in one’s professional career , relationship satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Often a person zeroes in on a specific area like the nose, breasts, or legs. In reality, however, this perceived flaw is not even noticeable to others. People who suffer from severe levels of disorder obsess over a flaw to a point of dysfunction, with some people even repeatedly visiting cosmetic surgeons.
Body dissatisfaction can be minor, too bad my nose is so big , or it can be severe, I hate everything about my body. Once you start to think that you have a flaw, your mind runs with the distraction and turns it into more than it is. All of which affects the way you think and feel about how you look, and about life in general.
Yes. Body dysmorphic disorder is more prevalent in people who opt for cosmetic surgery. Compared to the 1 to 2 percent prevalence of BDD in the general population, rates of up to 7 to 15 percent have been identified in the cosmetic surgery population.
Being exposed to images of airbrushed supermodels and perfectly sculpted celebrities, even briefly, can trigger body shame , body dissatisfaction, depression , anxiety , and eating disordered behaviors .
Research has found that even young children can display excess concern about body weight, but fortunately many children outgrow these worries. And children experiencing body awareness, sometimes as young as age 8 or 9, are more likely a reaction to peer pressure and self-consciousness rather than suffering from any true disorder. But a distorted perspective can be real for people from the pre-teenage years through to adulthood, with more women than men suffering.
Thoughts and opinions about one’s body can start forming as early as 3 years of age. Often this is a direct result of a parent’s relationship with their own bodies. How a parent sees herself is influential and can mold a child’s ideas about their body.
A person's body image strongly influences their behavior. Preoccupation with, and distortions of, body image have been found to be widespread among American women and, to a much lesser extent, among males.
In the midst of body image angst, people tend to forget about the body's important utility, and it does so much for us, too--our bodies get us from point A to point B, for example. Yet many people remain mired in a world where physical looks take primacy. To put body image back into perspective, experts suggest that you curb the use of social media , platforms where visitors are constantly reminded of the outsize value placed on looks and image are ill-advised. And if snapping a selfie makes you feel worse, then avoid it. No one deserves to go through life hating the place where they live – their body. Body image should not hinge on whether a person looks like a runway model. It's possible for a person to have a better view of their body no matter what it looks like.
Consider everything your body does for you. Thank the different parts of your body. Do your arms let you hold the people you love? Do your legs take you on walks to beautiful places? Do your hands help you express yourself? Write your body a letter of gratitude for the ways it has served you throughout your life.
Encourage your friend to talk about how they feel, yet discourage negative talk that shames them about their body and weight . Also engage in positive activities together, eating healthy and working out as friends, for example.
People who harbor a negative view of their bodies may have chronic bleak and obsessive thoughts about the way they look. Here are some other signs of poor body image:
- Focuses excessive attention on a minor flaw in appearance.
- Views oneself as unattractive, even ugly.
- Fears other people can see the so-called deformity.
- Might be a perfectionist .
- Avoids social engagements.
- Constantly grooms and looks at oneself in the mirror.
- Constantly hides the perceived flaw with makeup or clothes.
- Constantly compares one’s appearance with other people’s.
- Pursues excessive cosmetic procedures or surgery.
- Needs reassurance from others ("Do I look fat in this?").
- Is never satisfied with appearance.
How appearance anxiety is affecting the mental health of young women and girls.
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Navigate a media-saturated world with greater literacy to reclaim autonomy, embrace diversity, and build resilience.
During Eating Disorders Awareness Week, learn the facts that could help save lives.
If you consistently critique and criticize your body, these internal shifts can help.
4 key insights to mark National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
We're conditioned to pursue external beauty to gain the rewards of love and acceptance. But this old operating system may not deliver the goods we desire.
Learn to navigate the dynamic continuum between body positivity and body neutrality to embrace diversity and celebrate an authentic relationship with your own body.
Why do we assume weight is controllable by the individual, and what are the effects of that conclusion? Will new weight-loss drugs change the way we think about obesity?
Learn the truth behind how weight impacts your fertility and get advice on handling body negativity from others.
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Body image: a serious issue among college students.
For college students and especially women, body image related issues are on many of our minds everyday. Being surrounded by peers of a similar age and experience makes for an environment where it is almost impossible to not compare yourself to others around you. Not to mention, the amount of stress that comes with being a college student can all contribute to a negative perception of one's body.
After understanding how relevant this issue is for many students on college campuses all over the world, I decided to reach out to Laura Orlich. She works for the University of Arizona Campus Health Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and I discussed with her further what body image actually is, why it is such an issue among our age group, and what we can possibly do to eliminate what ultimately causes or worsens the issue.
Orlich says that in todays society, “men strive for the typical muscle look whereas woman desire the thin ideal, thigh gap, and bikini bridge stereotypes." With these types of “measurements" being engraved in many students' minds, it is important to have resources for those who may be struggling with body related issues.
Orlich offers counseling to students who feel they need guidance in body confidence, eating disorders, as well as any body image issue they may be feeling or are concerned about. She defines body image as “the definition of a person's perception of how their physical appearance is experienced by others."
Orlich explains that there are many triggers students experience everyday that can be attributed to negative body talk or perception. Some may be as simple as not wanting to mature, a comment made by someone or a comparison of ourselves to others. Since this is the time in many students' lives where they are looking for serious romantic relationships, it is undeniable that one's self image is a very natural conscious to have.
The UA participated in the “Healthy Body Study" which is a study performed along with seven other universities. Results from the UA alone were shocking. Statistics showed that 25% of all UA students who participated in the study said that body image, shape, and weight were the most important things in their lives. 76% of females said that in the last month they have had a strong desire to lose weight, and 50% of all students who participated in the study expressed a definite fear they might gain weight.
“We can start looking at ourselves for other characteristics, attributes, and internal qualities that are responded positively by others," said Orlich, “We should not just focus on the way we look."
Orlich says ways we as a community can eliminate this negative stigma is by “withdrawing from fat talk and judging others and to practice empathy for ourselves and for others."
Professionals on campus such as Orlich want students' college experience to be vibrant, full of life, and most of all positive and healthy. Orlich hopes students can “notice all of the miracles your body does without you even knowing it and to take into account all of the wonderful things your body does for you rather than just how it looks."
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Unlocking lake people's secrets: 15 must-knows, there's no other place you'd rather be in the summer..
The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.
Whether you grew up going to the lake , have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart , no matter how dirty the water may look.
Every year when summer rolls back around, you can't wait to fire up the boat and get back out there. Here is a list of things you can probably identify with as a fellow lake-goer.
A bad day at the lake is still better than a good day not at the lake.
It's your place of escape, where you can leave everything else behind and just enjoy the beautiful summer day. No matter what kind of week you had, being able to come and relax without having to worry about anything else is the best therapy there is. After all, there's nothing better than a day of hanging out in the hot sun, telling old funny stories and listening to your favorite music.
You know the best beaches and coves to go to.
Whether you want to just hang out and float or go walk around on a beach, you know the best spots. These often have to be based on the people you're with, given that some "party coves" can get a little too crazy for little kids on board. I still have vivid memories from when I was six that scared me when I saw the things drunk girls would do for beads.
You have no patience for the guy who can't back his trailer into the water right.
When there's a long line of trucks waiting to dump their boats in the water, there's always that one clueless guy who can't get it right, and takes 5 attempts and holds up the line. No one likes that guy. One time my dad got so fed up with a guy who was taking too long that he actually got out of the car and asked this guy if he could just do it for him. So he got into the guy's car, threw it in reverse, and got it backed in on the first try. True story.
Doing the friendly wave to every boat you pass.
Similar to the "jeep wave," almost everyone waves to other boats passing by. It's just what you do, and is seen as a normal thing by everyone.
The cooler is always packed, mostly with beer.
Alcohol seems to be a big part of the lake experience, but other drinks are squeezed into the room remaining in the cooler for the kids, not to mention the wide assortment of chips and other foods in the snack bag.
Giving the idiot who goes 30 in a "No Wake Zone" a piece of your mind.
There's nothing worse than floating in the water, all settled in and minding your business, when some idiot barrels through. Now your anchor is loose, and you're left jostled by the waves when it was nice and perfectly still before. This annoyance is typically answered by someone yelling some choice words to them that are probably accompanied by a middle finger in the air.
You have no problem with peeing in the water.
It's the lake, and some social expectations are a little different here, if not lowered quite a bit. When you have to go, you just go, and it's no big deal to anyone because they do it too.
You know the frustration of getting your anchor stuck.
The number of anchors you go through as a boat owner is likely a number that can be counted on two hands. Every once in a while, it gets stuck on something on the bottom of the lake, and the only way to fix the problem is to cut the rope, and you have to replace it.
Watching in awe at the bigger, better boats that pass by.
If you're the typical lake-goer, you likely might have an average-sized boat that you're perfectly happy with. However, that doesn't mean you don't stop and stare at the fast boats that loudly speed by, or at the obnoxiously huge yachts that pass.
Knowing any swimsuit that you own with white in it is best left for the pool or the ocean.
You've learned this the hard way, coming back from a day in the water and seeing the flowers on your bathing suit that were once white, are now a nice brownish hue.
The momentary fear for your life as you get launched from the tube.
If the driver knows how to give you a good ride, or just wants to specifically throw you off, you know you're done when you're speeding up and heading straight for a big wave. Suddenly you're airborne, knowing you're about to completely wipe out, and you eat pure wake. Then you get back on and do it all again.
You're able to go to the restaurants by the water wearing minimal clothing.
One of the many nice things about the life at the lake is that everybody cares about everything a little less. Rolling up to the place wearing only your swimsuit, a cover-up, and flip flops, you fit right in. After a long day when you're sunburned, a little buzzed, and hungry, you're served without any hesitation.
Having unexpected problems with your boat.
Every once in a while you're hit with technical difficulties, no matter what type of watercraft you have. This is one of the most annoying setbacks when you're looking forward to just having a carefree day on the water, but it's bound to happen. This is just one of the joys that come along with being a boat owner.
Having a name for your boat unique to you and your life.
One of the many interesting things that make up the lake culture is the fact that many people name their boats. They can range from basic to funny, but they are unique to each and every owner, and often have interesting and clever meanings behind them.
There's no better place you'd rather be in the summer.
Summer is your all-time favorite season, mostly because it's spent at the lake. Whether you're floating in the cool water under the sun, or taking a boat ride as the sun sets, you don't have a care in the world at that moment . The people that don't understand have probably never experienced it, but it's what keeps you coming back every year.
Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!
Why i chose a small school over a big university..
I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin ." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.
1. My school is incredibly unique.
There are so many different kinds of people that each bring something really special to contribute to the school which makes it so unique.
2. I am not just a number at my school.
I am a student that my professors know about and I like knowing that my professors can watch my progress.
3. I feel like I am contributing something to the community.
I like feeling like I can make a difference on my campus.
4. I really do feel like it is my home away from home.
It isn't just my school. It is absolutely my home away from home. I feel so comfortable there and it was as hard of an adjustment as I had thought it would be.
5. My professors know me and I feel that I can easily communicate with them.
I feel like they will do anything to help students succeed. I can always go to my professors. I like knowing that I have someone looking out for me.
6. The incredible people I've met
The people I have met at my school, even after my first year, have made such a huge impact on me. I know that these are people that I will stay friends with long after college is done.
7. Opportunities
My school offers so many different opportunities to get involved in things around campus. Even writing for the Odyssey was an opportunity offered to me by my school and I decided to challenge myself by writing an article. Turns out, I really enjoy writing. I might not have had this opportunity at a bigger school.
8. Students want to learn
I feel as though I am not just learning inside the classroom at my school. I am learning outside the classroom to from my fellow classmates who want to engage about the things we have learned.
9. Ability to join a sorority and have a house full of people I know I can talk to anytime I need to
I wasn't sure if being in a sorority was something I was interested in but when I met the amazing people in the sorority and how inclusive it was, I knew that it was going to be a good thing for me. The people I've met in my sorority have been so amazing.
10. I have figured out how I learn best because my school offers so many different ways of learning.
Because of the smaller class sizes, there is more flexibility in the way the class is taught. This was helpful because I was able to try out different ways of learning and figure out which way I learn best.
70 Of The Most Referenced Movies Ever
The basics of movies and pop culture pieces..
Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?
Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.
So lock down this list and impress your friends and family with your impressive film knowledge that fills the space of all that schoolwork that you just forgot. Because after all, "How could I handle school on a day like this?"
1. Jurassic Park
2. princess bride, 3. office space, 4. sixteen candles, 5. ferris bueller's day off, 6. bill and ted's excellent adventure, 7. absolutely anything (robin william's last movie), 8. mrs. doubtfire, 9. to kill a mockingbird, 10. a few good men, 11. good will hunting, 12. dead poet’s society, 13. wizard of oz, 14. the shining, 15. silence of the lambs, 17. casablanca, 18. singin’ in the rain, 19. e.t. extra terrestrial, 20. zootopia (basically all things disney, except frozen), 22. gone with the wind, 23. harry potter (all of them), 24. star wars (all but rogue one), 25. indiana jones and the raiders of the lost arc, 26. die hard, 27. titanic, 28. it’s a wonderful life, 29. lord of the rings (all three), 30. airplane, 31. ghostbusters, 32. groundhog day, 33. a clockwork orange, 34. the terminator, 35. saving private ryan, 36. carrie (1976), 37. pulp fiction, 38. sixth sense, 39. the matrix, 40. west side story, 41. fight club, 42. shaun of the dead, 43. hot fuzz, 44. forrest gump, 45. monty python and the holy grail, 46. back to the future, 47. the breakfast club, 48. mean girls, 49. the sandlot, 50. wayne’s world, 51. a christmas story, 53. napoleon dynamite, 54. the big lebowski, 55. spaceballs, 57. beetlejuice, 58. the hangover, 59. the rocky horror picture show, 60. anatasia, 61. young frankenstein, 62. zoolander, 63. field of dreams, 64. american pie, 65. gremlins, 66. big v for vendetta, 67. the birds, 68. how to train your dragon, 69. the labyrinth, 70. marvel movies (all of them, even the bad ones).
There are plenty of other movies that are fantastic and worth watching, but this is where you should start. Try knocking a few out during those rainy days this summer !
Happy Watching!!!
7 New Year Clichés: Break Free, Embrace Change!
Those that everyone know.
It's 2024! You drank champagne, you wore funny glasses, and you watched the ball drop as you sang the night away with your best friends and family . What comes next you may ask? Sadly you will have to return to the real world full of work and school and paying bills. "Ah! But I have my New Year's Resolutions!"- you may say. But most of them are 100% complete cliches that you won't hold on to. Here is a list of those things you hear all around the world.
1. "I will be serious about working out"
Are you? Odds are you will get that gym membership, go for a few weeks, and completely forget about it. You will realize that autopay is taking $80 out of your account and you either need to cancel or start going again. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in better shape, but do it at a pace that is right for you. Don't let the change in year dictate it.
2. "New year new me!"
This cliche is the most over used and most underdone. Every year we hear "New Year New Me!!", and the most that comes out of it is someone dyes their hair or gets a tattoo . Yes, these are life changing attributes to a person, and everyone should be commended for trying new things, but don't try to change you just because its a new year. Stay true to yourself.
3. "I'm going to be more outgoing!"
Being adventurous is always a great thing! Stepping out of your comfort zone is always exhilarating, but don't force yourself to do things that make you feel uncomfortable. So are you really going to go out, or will you continue to watch Netflix and go to the same restaurants. The choice is yours!
4. "I'm going to get more organized "
Trying to get organized is a great feat few of us can manage. It's always good to do a big spring cleaning, but trying to completely organize everything is trying to change how you live. I know when I try to do something like get a new planner, I either stick to it or I forget about it.
5. "I'm leaving my bad relationships in the past!"
Bad influences won't go away in your life if you wish them to stay in another year. Work hard at this one if you are going to make it one of your New Years cliches. Toxic relationships should stay in the past, but it is up to you to keep them out of your life.
6. "I'm going to party less"
Party as much as you want. There is nothing wrong of going out and having fun as long as you are safe doing it. If partying is what you enjoy doing, then that is okay. Not everyone conforms to that lifestyle, but if that is your thing there is no shame in that! Don't leave it in another year because you think you have to.
7. "I'm going to get more serious about my career/schooling"
This is the cliche that you should stick to. It's never a bad thing to be more focused on your career and school, as long as you don't lose sight of the important things. If you get serious, make sure you make time for your family, friends, and most importantly, yourself.
The Ultimate Birthday: Unveiling the Perfect Day to Celebrate!
Let's be real, the day your birthday falls on could really make or break it..
You heard it here first: birthdays in college are some of the best days of your four years. For one day annually, you get to forget about your identity as a stressed, broke, and overworked student, and take the time to celebrate. You can throw your responsibilities for a day, use your one skip in that class you hate, receive kind cards and gifts from loved ones and just enjoy yourself.
Having just celebrated my birthday this past Thursday, the most common question I received from people all day and night was, “Is your birthday actually today?” I realized that, for many, they have the misfortune of either having a birthday in the summer , or on a day that wasn’t ideal for them to celebrate on.
Your birthday celebration is a special day, and it is important to make the most out of it. I decided to take the initiative and make a definitive list that will show you the best day to have a birthday, in descending order according to their rank:
If your birthday falls on a Monday, it just might be an unlucky year for you. Monday is, hands down, the worst day to have a birthday. Everyone else is focused on how stressful the week ahead of them will be, and are still recovering from the weekend. If you celebrate the weekend before, that’s too far in advance, and celebrating the weekend after feels too far away. It’s a lose/lose, unfortunately.
While not as unlucky as a Monday, a Tuesday is in a similar situation. Most are still feeling down as so much of the week lies ahead, and often, big assignments are due on Wednesday. Of course, a Tequila and TacoTuesday could be an option (for those turning 21 or older, of course), but that’s about the most you can do.
Taking the fifth spot is Sunday. By the time Sunday comes around, everyone’s pretty exhausted. However, it still is a very relaxing day, that would make for a pretty good birthday. You have the entire day to spend how you want, no class, few commitments, if any. Plus, you can always celebrate the night before. Your birthday technically starts at midnight, right?
4. Wednesday
Honestly, the most I can say about this is Wine Wednesday. The week is still young, though. Hopefully you have an easy Thursday and Friday ahead of you, however, if not, the birthday could go south. Either way, it’s definitely right in the middle in terms of the best day of the week to have a birthday on.
3. Thursday
I can speak from personal experience, this is a pretty great day to have a birthday. My 11 a.m. French exam the next morning wasn’t ideal, however, there’s nothing better than a Thirsty Thursday (again, 21 and up only). It gives you the whole weekend ahead of you. However, it’s right at the beginning of the weekend, and not everyone has the ability to celebrate on Thursday, as it is still a weeknight.
2. Saturday
Saturdays are special because a Saturday birthday is an all day affair. You celebrate from first thing in the morning, all the way through the night. You can grab a dinner with friends, the whole day is yours for the taking. The only downside is that it doesn’t lay right in the middle of the weekend, it’s on the last day.
The final consensus is that Friday is, in fact, the best day for your birthday to fall on. Right in the center of the weekend, you can really make anything you want out of your birthday. You’ve claimed the right to an entire weekend, and all of your week’s responsibilities come to a close at the end of your Friday school day. You can even skip that class you hate so much. Those who have a Friday birthday this year: consider yourself blessed.
In the end, a birthday is a birthday. No matter what day yours falls on, you have every right to live it up, and have yourself a day!
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Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan
Hannah l. quittkat.
1 Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
Andrea S. Hartmann
Rainer düsing.
2 Department of Research Methodology, Diagnostics & Evaluation, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
Ulrike Buhlmann
3 Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
Silja Vocks
Associated data.
The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.
Body image disturbance is associated with several mental disorders. Previous research on body image has focused mostly on women, largely neglecting body image in men. Moreover, only a small number of studies have conducted gender comparisons of body image over the lifespan and included participants aged 50 years and older. With regard to measurement, body image has often been assessed only in terms of body dissatisfaction, disregarding further aspects such as body appreciation or the importance of appearance. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore different aspects of body image in the general German-speaking population and to compare men and women of various ages. Participants completed an online survey comprising questionnaires about body image. Body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, the number of hours per day participants would invest and the number of years they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, and body appreciation were assessed and analyzed with respect to gender and age differences. We hypothesized that body dissatisfaction and importance of appearance would be higher in women than in men, that body dissatisfaction would remain stable across age in women, and that importance of appearance would be lower in older women compared to younger women. Body appreciation was predicted to be higher in men than in women. General and generalized linear models were used to examine the impact of age and gender. In line with our hypotheses, body dissatisfaction was higher in women than in men and was unaffected by age in women, and importance of appearance was higher in women than in men. However, only in men did age predict a lower level of the importance of appearance. Compared to men, women stated that they would invest more hours of their lives to achieve their ideal appearance. For both genders, age was a predictor of the number of years participants would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance. Contrary to our assumption, body appreciation improved and was higher in women across all ages than in men. The results seem to suggest that men’s and women’s body image are dissimilar and appear to vary across different ages.
Introduction
Many people are concerned about at least one part of their body ( 1 ). A negative cognitive evaluation of one’s body can be an expression of a negative body image ( 2 ). Body image is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, which encompasses a behavioral component involving body-related behaviors (e.g. checking behaviors), a perceptual component involving the perception of body characteristics (e.g. estimation of one’s body size or weight), and a cognitive-affective component involving cognitions, attitudes, and feelings toward one’s body ( 3 – 6 ).
Negative thoughts and feelings about one’s body are defined as body dissatisfaction ( 7 ), which is considered to be the most important global measure of stress related to the body ( 4 ). Body dissatisfaction has been found to be a predictor for the development of an eating disorder ( 8 ) and occurs in individuals with different mental disorders, such as binge eating disorder or social anxiety disorder (e.g. 6 , 9 ), as well as in healthy persons (e.g. 10 – 12 ). It represents one of the two poles of the satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum of body image disturbance ( 4 ), which encompasses measures of satisfaction (e.g. being satisfied with particular body areas; e.g. 13 ) and dissatisfaction (e.g. weight or muscle dissatisfaction; e.g. 14 , 15 ).
Another construct which is related to both the cognitive-affective and the behavioral component is the importance of appearance, also termed appearance orientation, which reflects the cognitive-behavioral investment in one’s appearance as an expression of the importance people place on their appearance ( 16 , 17 ). This construct was shown to be distinguishable from the construct of appearance evaluation ( 18 ), which also represents a measure of body satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
Besides negative body evaluation and the importance of appearance, a positive appraisal of one’s body also forms part of the cognitive-affective component. For instance, body appreciation is defined as accepting, respecting, and having a favorable opinion of one’s own body, as well as rejecting unrealistic body ideals portrayed by the media ( 19 ). Body appreciation was shown to predict indices of well-being beyond other measures of body image ( 19 ) and occurred simultaneously with body dissatisfaction, highlighting the independence of the two concepts ( 20 ).
In the past, studies have investigated the impact of gender and age on body features related to the cognitive-affective component. Specifically, research on body dissatisfaction has shown that girls and female adolescents (e.g. 21 – 24 ), and women of all ages (e.g. 12 , 25 , 26 ) report body dissatisfaction. While some studies revealed that the level of body dissatisfaction varied across different age groups ( 27 , 28 ), others found that body dissatisfaction remained quite stable across the adult lifespan in females ( 20 , 25 , 29 , 30 ). Studies examining other aspects of the satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum, such as weight dissatisfaction ( 15 , 31 ) or satisfaction with particular body parts ( 13 , 32 ), also found body dissatisfaction in women. Frederick and colleagues ( 33 ) estimated that 20% to 40% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies. Nevertheless, body dissatisfaction is also reported in men, suggesting that 10% to 30% of men show body dissatisfaction ( 33 ) or 69% of male adolescents to be dissatisfied with their bodies in terms of their weight ( 34 ). Frederick and colleagues ( 14 ) even reported that 90% of male US students in their sample described themselves as being dissatisfied with respect to muscularity. In terms of body evaluation, striving for increased muscularity, referred to as drive for muscularity ( 35 ), has emerged as a central issue for boys and men (e.g. 35 – 38 ). It was shown to be distinct from body dissatisfaction ( 39 ). However, although previous studies reported that body dissatisfaction does not differ across age in women, it remains unclear whether the level of body dissatisfaction changes across age in men.
While body dissatisfaction seems to remain stable across age in women, studies suggest that the importance of appearance appears to decrease with age ( 40 ). In line with Pliner and colleagues, Tiggemann and Lynch ( 41 ) found in a group of females aged 20 to 84 years that the importance of appearance was lower in older than in younger women. For men, only one study has examined the importance of appearance, and found that it varied between age groups and reached a peak at age 75 years and older ( 42 ). To our knowledge, no other study has examined the importance of appearance in men over the lifetime. Thus, it remains relatively unclear whether the importance of appearance remains stable or changes over the lifetime in men.
With respect to body appreciation, Tiggemann and McCourt ( 20 ) demonstrated higher body appreciation in older than in younger women. Furthermore, high body appreciation was found to be protective against the negative effects of media exposure to thin models in women ( 43 ). Other studies reported that body appreciation in men and women was associated with a low level of consumption of Western and appearance-focused media ( 44 ) and correlated negatively with internalization of sociocultural ideals ( 45 ). However, studies focusing on age differences regarding body appreciation in males are lacking.
Previous studies on body image have mostly considered age-related changes in either men or women, or in particular age groups (e.g. college students, adolescents). Only a limited number of studies have compared men and women with respect to the aforementioned aspects of body image. These studies generally found greater body dissatisfaction in females than in males (e.g. 29 , 30 , 46 – 49 ). Men (vs. women) seem to place less importance on their appearance ( 42 , 50 , 51 ) and report slightly higher levels of body appreciation (e.g. 45 , 52 – 54 ). Tylka and Wood-Barcalow ( 55 ) also reported higher body appreciation in college men (vs. college women), but were unable to replicate this effect in a community sample. In contrast to this latter result, Swami and colleagues ( 53 ) reported higher body appreciation in men than in women in a sample from the general Austrian population. However, these studies comparing men and women did not analyze their data with respect to the impact of age.
Only a small number of studies have investigated the effect of age and gender on body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance and body appreciation. In a two-year longitudinal study, Mellor and colleagues ( 56 ) found that body dissatisfaction was higher in females than in males and higher in younger than in older participants. In another longitudinal study, Keel and colleagues ( 15 ) examined men and women over a period of 20 years. As men aged, the authors observed increasing weight and increasing weight dissatisfaction, while weight dissatisfaction decreased in women despite analogous increases in weight. The authors concluded that women appear to be more accepting of their weight as they age ( 15 ). Unfortunately, the mean age at the 20-year follow-up was only 40 years, meaning that conclusions could not be drawn about the whole adult lifespan. Similarly, in a large sample of men and women aged 18 to 49 years, Ålgars et al. ( 46 ) found that overall body dissatisfaction was higher in women than in men, but that only in women was age associated with decreasing body dissatisfaction, while in men, body dissatisfaction changed across the different age groups ( 46 ). However, these results have to be interpreted with caution, as the sample consisted of twins and was thus not representative of the general population.
Other studies found higher levels of body dissatisfaction ( 28 ) and lower levels of satisfaction with certain body areas ( 29 ) in women than in men. However, the latter study did not find any gender- or age-related effect on overall body dissatisfaction ( 29 ). Concerning the importance of appearance, Öberg and Tornstam ( 42 ) found that women placed more importance on their appearance than did men, and that this factor remained stable across different age groups in women but varied in men. These results are contrary to the findings of Tiggemann and Lynch ( 41 ) and Pliner et al. ( 40 ), who found that the importance of appearance decreased with age in women. However, this discrepancy may be due to the assessment method in the study by Öberg and Tornstam, as they used a single item to evaluate the importance of appearance. Hence, the development of importance of appearance in men and women across the lifespan remains unclear.
Although, as mentioned above, some studies have found that women place less importance on their appearance as they age ( 40 , 41 ), this aspect has not been examined in a large population sample comprising different age groups in relation to the impact of gender and age. Furthermore, studies comparing body appreciation between men and women across different age groups are lacking. To our knowledge, no previous study has examined body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance and body appreciation in the general population including men and women aged 16 to 50 years and older. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this research gap by analyzing these negative and positive aspects of body image in a general population sample considering gender and age.
First, based on the previous findings outlined above, we predicted that body dissatisfaction would be higher in women than in men (Hypothesis 1) and would remain stable across age in women (Hypothesis 2). As no previous study has investigated body dissatisfaction across the whole lifespan in men, we aimed to examine a potential influence of age on body dissatisfaction in men.
Second, we hypothesized that women would place more importance on their appearance than men (Hypothesis 3), but that in line with the aforementioned studies, across age, older women would report lower levels of importance than younger women (Hypothesis 4). Given the lack of corresponding studies in men, we intended to investigate the importance of appearance and its relation to age in men in an exploratory analysis. Furthermore, appearance orientation assesses the importance of appearance in terms of the extent of investment in one’s appearance (e.g. grooming behaviors) and in terms of the attention one pays to one’s appearance. However, it does not quantify how many hours or years people would be willing to invest in their appearance to look the way they want to. Therefore, as a measure of the importance of appearance, we additionally assessed the number of hours men and women would be willing to invest per day to achieve their ideal appearance, and the number of years of their life they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance.
Third, we predicted that body appreciation would be higher in men than in women (Hypothesis 5). As the aforementioned studies examined gender differences without analyzing the impact of age, we aimed to investigate potential changes in body appreciation across age in an exploratory manner.
Fourth, to take into account the well-documented increase in BMI over the lifetime (e.g. 46 , 57 , 58 ) and its potential association with the outcome variables, we examined these relations as a control analysis by calculating correlations between the subjective evaluations of body image and BMI.
Materials and Methods
Participants.
Inclusion criteria were age 16 years and older, sufficient German-language skills, and internet access. Data were collected from N = 1,338 persons. From the original data set, n = 4 participants had to be excluded due to ambiguous details about their age or invalid responses to questions. Moreover, n = 7 persons were excluded as they did not fit into the binary gender categories male or female. The final study sample comprised n = 942 women and n = 385 men, aged 16 to 88 years (total sample: n = 1,327).
Demographic Data
All participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographic data such as gender, age, height and weight, educational level, relationship status, sexual orientation, and number of children. The item on sexual orientation was optional. Self-reported weight and height were used to calculate the body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ).
Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales
The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales [MBSRQ-AS; ( 16 ); German-language version: ( 17 )] is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 34 items and five subscales to assess different appearance-related aspects of body image. The MBSRQ-AS has been validated for participants aged 15 years and older and for both men and women ( 16 ). For the purpose of this study, the Appearance Evaluation Scale (seven items) and Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (nine items) were used to assess body dissatisfaction, and the Appearance Orientation Scale (12 items) was applied to examine the importance people place on their appearance. According to Cash ( 16 ), the Appearance Evaluation Scale measures overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with one’s appearance and physical attractiveness, with high scores indicating body satisfaction and low scores indicating body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (nine items) assesses satisfaction/dissatisfaction with particular body areas; high and low scores are analogous to the Appearance Evaluation Scale. The Appearance Orientation Scale (12 items) evaluates the investment in one’s appearance, with low scores indicating that people do not place importance on or invest much effort into being “good-looking”. All items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale with different response labeling ( Appearance Evaluation Scale and Appearance Orientation Scale : 1 = definitely disagree to 5 = definitely agree; Body Areas Satisfaction Scale : 1 = very dissatisfied to 5 = very satisfied). While the English-language version has been validated in both men and women ( 16 ), the German-language version has only been validated for females ( 17 ). In the German validation, all subscales showed good internal consistency (α = .78–.90; 17 ). In the current sample, high internal consistencies were found ( Appearance Evaluation Scale : α = .88; Appearance Orientation Scale : α = .85; Body Areas Satisfaction Scale : α = .81), both for men ( Appearance Evaluation Scale : α = .87; Appearance Orientation Scale : α = .85; Body Areas Satisfaction Scale : α = .80) and women ( Appearance Evaluation Scale : α = .89; Appearance Orientation Scale : α = .86; Body Areas Satisfaction Scale : α = .81).
Body Appreciation Scale-2
The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; 55 ; German-language version: Steinfeld, unpublished manuscript) assesses body appreciation in a gender-neutral manner using 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = never to 5 = always). High internal consistency (α = .96) was found for the BAS-2 in an English-speaking sample of men and women ( 55 ). In our sample, internal consistency was high (α = .94), both in males (α = .92) and females (α = .94).
Investment in One’s Appearance
To investigate the amount of time which men and women would be willing to invest in and sacrifice for their own appearance, participants were asked the following two questions: “How many years of your life would you be willing to sacrifice if you could look the way you want?”, “How many hours a day would you invest in your appearance if you could look the way you want?”
Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale
The Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale (SISE; 59 ) measures self-esteem using the item “I have high self-esteem,” which is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not very true of me to 5 = very true of me). It has shown high correlations with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a high test-retest reliability after four years ( r tt = .75) ( 59 ).
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–Depression Subscale
The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–Depression Subscale (DASS-D) ( 60 ; German-language version: 61 ) consists of seven items assessing depressive mood over the past week on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = never to 3 = always). For the German version of the DASS-D, high internal consistency has been found (α = .88) ( 61 ). In the present study, internal consistency ranged from α = .89 for men to α = .91 for women (total sample: α = .90).
Study Procedure
Participants were recruited via social media, mailing lists, press releases, advertisements, and flyers and were asked to take part in a short online survey comprising different questionnaires about body image. To access the study website, they could either scan a barcode or use a web link. The online survey was set up using the software Unipark (Version EFS Winter 2018; 62 ). Participants were informed about the purpose of the study and were asked to provide their informed consent by clicking a button next to a declaration asserting that they agree to the processing of their personal data according to the given information. The survey began once participants had provided consent and took approximately 10 min to complete. Participants were offered no financial compensation for study participation. The research project was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethics committee of Osnabrück University.
Data Analysis
Data analysis was performed using the software SPSS Statistics (version 25; IBM 63 ) for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and general linear models and the software R (version 3.5.3; R 64 ) with the DHARMa package (version 0.2.4; 65 ), the glmmTMB package (version 0.2.3; 66 ), and the MASS package (version 7.3–51.3; 67 ) for generalized linear models. As we intended to explore homogenous hypotheses in terms of body dissatisfaction, the power was set at a significance level of p = .10 for the variable age.
For group comparisons on demographic and descriptive variables ( Table 1 ), we calculated Mann-Whitney U Tests, as our data were not normally distributed (except BMI). Since inferential statistics for simple comparisons are massively overpowered in such large samples, we additionally report effect sizes. For better interpretability, U -values were converted into correlation coefficients r ( 68 , 69 ). For correlations between BMI and the body image variables ( Table 3 ), Spearman’s rank correlations were calculated due to non-normally distributed data.
Descriptive statistics and group comparisons regarding age, height, weight, BMI, depression, and self-esteem.
Age in years; height in centimeters; weight in kilograms. DASS, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale–Depression Subscale; SISE, Single-Item Self-Esteem scale; BMI, Body Mass Index; M, mean; SD, standard deviation; N, sample size; Min, minimum; Max, maximum; U, Mann-Whitney U test; t, t value; p, p value; r, correlation coefficient. ***p < .001; n.s., nonsignificant; + = one man reported this extreme but still realistic value regarding weight and BMI. In all general linear models and all generalized linear models, outlier detection marked him as an outlier and did not include him in the analyses.
Spearman’s correlations between BMI and the scores on the scales Appearance Evaluation, Body Areas Satisfaction, Appearance Orientation, the number of hours per day participants would invest to achieve their ideal appearance, and the number of years participants would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance and Body Appreciation for total sample, women, and men.
BMI, body mass index. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.
For linear and generalized linear models, gender was dummy-coded, with men as the reference category. Age was centered to simplify the interpretation of the model coefficients. Due to missing data on single items within the questionnaires, the sample sizes for the initial model estimations varied, since participants were only included in the respective data analysis if they answered all items of a scale. To examine the individual impact of gender and age for each dependent variable, we started with the general linear model and inspected the residual distributions, tested statistically and by visual inspection for normality, and tested for homogeneity of variance as well as for skewness, kurtosis, and outliers (Mahalanobis and Cook’s distance, Leverage). While Cook’s distance should be smaller than 1 ( 70 ) and Leverage for large samples <3 k / N ( 71 ), a value was identified as an outlier if the Mahalanobis distances were above the critical χ 2 value exceeding the probability of 0.01 ( 72 ) and if studentized deleted residuals were larger than 3 standard deviations. The highest number of outliers was detected for the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale, with 3.36%. Comparisons of the models with and without outliers revealed no substantial differences; hence, we report the models without potential outliers, as power issues were not expected for such a large sample size and precision of estimates was prioritized. Final sample sizes are reported for each model ( Tables 4 and 5 ).
Descriptive statistics regarding the scores on the scales Appearance Evaluation, Body Areas Satisfaction, Appearance Orientation, hours of investment, and years of sacrifice, as well as Body Appreciation for total sample, women and men used in the final models.
M, mean; SD, standard deviation; N, sample size; Min, minimum; Max, maximum; Hours, number of hours per day men and women would invest to achieve their ideal appearance; Years, number of years men and women would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance.
General linear models for the prediction of Appearance Evaluation, Body Areas Satisfaction and Appearance Orientation as well as generalized linear models for the prediction of Body Appreciation, the number of hours per day participants would invest to achieve their ideal appearance, and the number of years participants would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, with gender and age as predictors.
b, regression weights; SE(b), standard errors of the regression weights; CI, 95% confidence interval with LL, lower limit and UL, upper limit; p, p value; Hours, number of hours per day men and women would invest to achieve their ideal appearance; Years, number of years men and women would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance. Appearance evaluation: R 2 = .005; body areas satisfaction: R 2 = .013; appearance orientation: R 2 = .052; hours: AIC = 3,418.6; years: AIC = 3,800.1; body appreciation: AIC = 2,907.8. n.s., nonsignificant; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.
For the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale, the assumption of homogeneity was violated. Therefore, a general linear model was calculated, using the HC3 method for robust estimation of the standard errors. Furthermore, due to skewness and non-normal distribution of the data, responses to the Body Appreciation Scale-2 were inverted and a generalized linear model with a gamma distribution and identity link function was used. The analyses of hours people would invest in their appearance and years people would sacrifice from their lives indicated severe violations of the assumptions of the general linear model, since their distributions were similar to zero-bounded count data. Therefore, the numbers of hours and years were rounded to integer values to enable us to calculate several Poisson and negative binomial regression models, which are suitable for count data. The fit of each model was assessed by tests for overdispersion and zero inflation, as well as by tests of residual fit using the DHARMa package. As a final model for the analyses of the years people would sacrifice from their lives, we used a negative binomial regression with a log-link and linearly increasing variance ( 73 ) and adjustment for zero inflation for the intercept using the glmmTMB package. For the analyses of the hours people would spend on their appearance, we used a negative binomial regression with the log-link function using the MASS package.
Sample Characteristics
Descriptive statistics and group differences are shown in Table 1 . Men and women differed significantly in terms of age, height, weight, BMI, and self-esteem. Compared to women, men were slightly older, taller, and heavier and had a higher BMI. This is in line with data from the German Federal Statistical Office ( 57 ), which reported a mean weight of 68.7 kg, a mean height of 166 cm and a mean BMI of 25.1 in German women, and a mean weight of 85.0 kg, a mean height of 179 cm and a mean BMI of 26.1 in German men. As indicators of psychopathology, men and women did not differ regarding depressive mood over the past week ( p = .152), whereas self-esteem was higher in men than in women.
Information about educational level, relationship status, number of children, and sexual orientation is reported in Table 2 . Of the total sample, n = 29 participants (of whom n = 23 were female) refused to answer the question regarding sexual orientation, and n = 3 participants (of whom n = 1 was female) did not state whether they had children. A recent study on the proportion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) persons in Europe reported that 7.40% of the German population identify themselves as LGBT ( 74 ). In our sample, 10.17% reported a sexual orientation other than heterosexuality, which is slightly higher than the reported value for the German population, but can be still considered as representative.
Numbers and percentages regarding educational level, relationship status, and sexual orientation for total sample, women, and men.
N, sample size; %, percentage regarding the respective sample. In terms of sexual orientation, 29 participants (23 female) did not answer; regarding children, three participants (one female) did not answer.
The Spearman’s rank correlations of BMI with body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, the number of hours per day participants would invest and years they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, and body appreciation are displayed in Table 3 .
General and Generalized Linear Models
Table 4 presents the descriptive statistics for appearance evaluation, body areas satisfaction, appearance orientation, hours of investment, and years of sacrifice, as well as body appreciation, separated for total sample, men, and women. The results of the general and the generalized linear models are displayed in Table 5 . Regarding body dissatisfaction, gender emerged as the only significant predictor of appearance evaluation ( t = −2.012, p = .044) and body areas satisfaction ( t = 4.282, p < .001), indicating lower appearance evaluation and lower body areas satisfaction in women than in men. Age (appearance evaluation: t = −1.489, p = .137; body areas satisfaction: t = −1.605, p = .109) and the interaction of age × gender (appearance evaluation: t = 1.630, p = .103; body areas satisfaction: t = 1.257, p = .209) did not reach statistical significance. In terms of the importance of appearance, gender ( t = 6.597, p < .001), age ( t = −3.636, p < .001), and the interaction of gender × age ( t = 3.194, p < .001) significantly predicted appearance orientation, revealing that women placed more importance on their appearance than did men, whereas age only influenced the importance of appearance in men. The number of hours which participants would spend on their appearance if they could achieve their ideal appearance was predicted by gender ( z = 2.037, p = .042) and age ( z = −4.654, p < .001), indicating that women would invest more hours than men, but that with higher age, both genders would invest fewer hours in their appearance. The interaction of gender × age ( z = 0.428, p = .67) was not significant. Age was the only predictor of the number of years participants would be willing to sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance ( z = −5.828, p < .001), revealing that with higher age, men and women would sacrifice fewer years for their ideal appearance. Neither gender ( z = −0.526, p = .60) nor the interaction of gender × age ( z = 1.015, p = .310) had a significant impact on the number of years. Furthermore, gender ( t = 2.828, p = . 005) and the interaction of gender × age ( t = −2.186, p = . 029) were significant predictors of body appreciation, insofar as with higher age, women reported higher body appreciation than men, while body appreciation in men remained stable with higher age. Age ( t = 0.127, p = . 899) did not reach statistical significance.
The aim of the present study was to investigate potential gender differences and the impact of age on body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, the number of hours per day participants would invest and the number of years they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, and body appreciation in the general population.
As predicted in our first hypothesis, we found an effect of gender on the Appearance Evaluation Scale and the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale, suggesting that women were significantly more dissatisfied with their bodies than men. This is in accordance with the results of several studies (e.g. 28 , 30 , 46 , 56 ), which likewise reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction in women than in men. In line with our results, Fallon and colleagues ( 29 ) found that women (vs. men) reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction on the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale, but contrary to our study, the authors did not find an effect of gender on the Appearance Evaluation Scale. Keel et al. ( 15 ) even found higher weight dissatisfaction in men than in women, which is also in contrast to previous findings. Therefore, it might be possible that women may be more satisfied with their weight while still reporting more body dissatisfaction.
Additionally, we found that body dissatisfaction on the Appearance Evaluation Scale and on the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale was not influenced by age or by the interaction of gender and age, indicating that body dissatisfaction remains stable across all ages for both genders. For women, this finding confirms our second hypothesis, which assumed that body dissatisfaction would not be influenced by age, and also supports previous findings (e.g. 20 , 25 , 29 , 30 ). One study by Öberg and Tornstam ( 42 ) found that body satisfaction was higher in older than in younger women, which is also in contrast to our findings, as we found no influence of age on body dissatisfaction. For men, our results indicate that body dissatisfaction remains stable across different ages. This is in contrast to Ålgars and colleagues ( 46 ), who found that body dissatisfaction varied across different age groups in men. However, the latter finding might be attributable to artificial grouping strategies, as the authors investigated the impact of the continuous variable age as a categorical variable through the use of age groups. Moreover, Ålgars and colleagues ( 46 ) only assessed participants between the age of 18 and 49 years. The present study included men and women aged from 16 to 88 years, thus covering a broader proportion of the lifespan in Germany; according to the German Federal Statistical Office ( 75 ), the average life expectancy lies at 78.4 years for men and 83.2 years for women. To sum up, body dissatisfaction seems to remain relatively stable across different ages, both for men and for women.
In line with our third hypothesis that women would place more importance on their appearance than men, we found a significant effect of gender on the Appearance Orientation Scale, indicating that women indeed place more importance on their appearance compared to men. This finding corroborates previous studies ( 42 , 50 , 51 ). Moreover, age was a significant predictor of appearance orientation, as was the interaction of gender and age. Although age and the interaction of gender and age reached statistical significance, only in men did higher age bring about a lower importance of appearance. For women, the regression weights of age and the interaction of gender and age cancelled each other out. Therefore, gender was the only factor to impact appearance orientation in women, and the importance of appearance was not affected by age in women. This is in contrast to our fourth hypothesis that older women would report lower levels of importance of appearance than younger women. It also conflicts with previous findings ( 40 , 41 ), as we found that appearance orientation remained stable across all ages in women. In line with our finding, Öberg and Tornstam ( 42 ) also reported that the importance of appearance remained stable in women of different ages. They further found a small variation of the importance of appearance across different age groups in men, with the level of importance being more pronounced from the age of 45 years and older ( 42 ). However, we observed that older men seem to place less importance on their appearance than do younger men.
As the construct of importance of appearance does not reflect the extent to which people are willing to invest time in order to reach their ideal appearance, we additionally assessed the amount of hours per day participants would invest, and the number of years of their lives they would sacrifice, in order to achieve their ideal appearance. We found an effect of gender and age on the number of hours spent on appearance, but only an effect of age on the number of years which participants would sacrifice for their appearance. Women were more likely to spend more hours per day on their ideal appearance than men. However, older men and women would invest fewer hours than their younger counterparts. Concerning the number of years people would be willing to sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, we found no effect of gender, but found age to be a significant predictor, meaning that older men and women would sacrifice fewer years from their lives for the sake of their ideal appearance. This indicates that in terms of their behavioral investment regarding the importance of appearance, men and women may be more similar than hitherto assumed. Apparently, women might find it easier to relinquish a small number of hours per day to be invested in their appearance compared to men, but regarding lifetime investment, both genders might be unwilling to sacrifice years of their lives for the sake of their appearance.
Furthermore, we examined the impact of gender and age on body appreciation, and found gender and the interaction of gender and age to be significant predictors. The significant effect of gender suggested that women showed less body appreciation than did men. This is in line with our fifth hypothesis that women would show lower levels of body appreciation than men, and is also in accordance with other studies ( 45 , 53 , 76 ). However, the significant interaction of gender and age indicates that with higher age, women report higher levels of body appreciation compared to men. This is in contrast to the aforementioned studies (e.g. 45 , 53 , 76 ), but may provide an explanation for the lack of a gender effect in an English-speaking community sample in the study by Tylka and Wood-Barcalow ( 55 ). Interestingly, compared to our study, Tylka and Wood-Barcalow ( 55 ) reported slightly higher values (from 3.22 to 3.97) for their samples for both genders. Furthermore, the significant interaction in our study suggested that body appreciation also improves in women across age, and older (vs. younger) women report higher levels of body appreciation. This is in line with Tiggemann and McCourt ( 20 ), who found greater body appreciation in older than in younger women. Regarding men, as pointed out above, no previous study has investigated the impact of age on body appreciation. In our study, the level of body appreciation remained quite stable across different ages in men, and was lower compared to that of women. An explanation might be that men are possibly more affected by restrictions of their body’s functionality due to aging processes ( 27 ), whereas women may cherish their body and the remaining functionality.
With respect to the associations between BMI and the aspects of body image, we found significant negative correlations between BMI and the Appearance Evaluation Scale and Body Areas Satisfaction Scale for men and women, insofar as with increasing BMI, values on both scales decreased (= higher body dissatisfaction). This is in line with previous research, which found that BMI was positively associated with body dissatisfaction in both genders (e.g. 77 – 81 ). Body appreciation was found to be negatively correlated with BMI for both genders, which is partially in line with previous research: One study found this association for women but not for men ( 53 ), while other studies yielded mixed findings, reporting either a negative association between BMI and body appreciation (e.g. 82 , 83 ) or no significant results (e.g. 44 ). Concerning the importance of appearance, we found no significant association with BMI for either gender. In line with our results, some previous studies found no association between the importance of appearance and BMI in both men and women ( 13 , 84 ), while others reported a positive correlation for women but no significant association for men ( 85 ). The latter may be explained by the differentiation between the importance of appearance and the investment of time in appearance, as we found that BMI was positively associated with the number of invested hours for both genders, but was only associated with the number of years participants would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance in women. These findings emphasize the distinction between the evaluative perspective of the importance of appearance (How essential are my looks to me)? and the behavioral perspective of the extent of investment in appearance (How many hours/years am I willing to invest in my appearance)?. For instance, a person may place importance on his or her appearance, but as appearance is less important than years of his or her life, he or she is unwilling to invest much effort in appearance. As shown in our study, women reported quite stable, higher levels of importance across age than did men. Consequently, it might be assumed that they have to invest more time in order to achieve their ideal appearance. Nevertheless, as older men and women would invest fewer hours and sacrifice fewer years, the extent of investment or sacrifice is evidently not expressed by the importance of appearance. These results underline the need to differentiate between the importance of appearance and the investment of time in one’s appearance.
Although in the present study, women reported a higher degree of body dissatisfaction than did men, men’s and women’s responses on average lay slightly above the value of 3 on the 5-point Likert scale ( Table 4 ). This indicates, on average, neither agreement nor disagreement on the two scales (3 = I neither agree nor disagree) and possibly reveals a more neutral to slightly positive evaluation of one’s body. These results are in line with those of Cash ( 16 ) and Fallon et al. ( 29 ), who reported similar values on both scales for men and women. Therefore, on average, men and women may be neither particularly dissatisfied nor particularly satisfied with their bodies.
In consideration of all of the aforementioned research, one has to raise the more general question of whether the absence of body dissatisfaction is synonymous with the presence of body satisfaction in terms of a continuum model as proposed by Thompson et al. ( 4 ). Another possibility lies in an alternative model, in which body satisfaction and body dissatisfaction coexist alongside one another. For instance, it may be possible for a person to report high levels of overall body dissatisfaction, while simultaneously reporting high levels of body satisfaction with certain areas (e.g. “In general, I am dissatisfied with my body, but I like my legs, my cheeks and my hair.”). This could result in neither agreement nor disagreement on a continuum scale. Further research is needed to investigate a possible coexistence of both concepts.
Some limitations have to be mentioned when interpreting the results of the present study. Although several coefficients turned out to be significant, they contribute only a minimum of change to the dependent variables. In addition, according to the conventions of Cohen ( 86 ), we found very small values for the R 2 s, as the R 2 s in the present study explained only 0.5% (appearance evaluation) up to 5.2% (appearance orientation) of the total variance. Due to our total sample size of N = 1,327, the significance of the coefficients therefore might be attributed to the study’s power. Moreover, as was the case for most of the previous studies (except for 15 and 56 ), we did not investigate age effects in a longitudinal design. Therefore, it is not possible to disentangle the effects of age and birth cohorts. The effects found in this study may be related to different birth cohorts, the way in which people were brought up and socialized, or different ideals of beauty and fashion. Longitudinal studies including different age cohorts of men and women are therefore required.
Another limitation may lie in the assessment method. As younger people use the internet more frequently than older people ( 87 ), it cannot be excluded that this could have led to a stronger selection bias in older participants. Further, the online assessment may not be representative for the general population ( 88 ). Thus, there was no control regarding the implementation conditions of participation (e.g. whether there were distractions while participating) or regarding who was participating ( 88 ). False answers on variables such as weight, height, and age seem to be easier to notice in the laboratory. However, false statements concerning the variables of body image may be just as difficult to detect in the laboratory or in paper-and-pencil examinations as in online assessments. Our calculation of correlations between BMI and the outcome variables may be seen as a control analysis, as the participants’ answers on BMI were associated with our dependent variables, in line with aforementioned research.
Furthermore, our sample included more women than men. This may reflect the fact that women are more likely to participate in studies than men (e.g. 89 , 90 ). Although general and generalized linear models are able to control for different sample sizes, men and women differed significantly regarding age, height, weight, and self-esteem. While the differences in weight and height could be explained by natural gender differences, men were slightly older than women. As a further limitation, the assessment was restricted to certain body-related aspects and omitted other concepts such as the drive for muscularity ( 35 ) or drive for thinness ( 91 ). We only included appearance-related aspects of body image and body appreciation in order to shorten the length of our study and to decrease the burden of our survey on respondents. Therefore, we concentrated on more general aspects related to the cognitive-affective component of body image. Future studies need to investigate the impact of gender and age on other components of body image, such as perceptual estimation of body size (e.g. 92 ) or checking behaviors (e.g. 93 ). Although some studies have already investigated body image regarding genders other than the distinct categories of male and female (e.g. 94 , 95 ), we did not analyze these persons in the present study due to the insufficient sample size ( N = 7). Moreover, we did not investigate the relation between sexual orientation and body image, although previous studies have found indications of an influence of sexual orientation on body image ( 96 – 99 ). Therefore, future research should investigate the impact of age on body image for different sexual orientations.
In conclusion, the present study is one of the first to examine body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, the number of hours participants would be willing to invest per day to achieve their ideal appearance and the number of years they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, and body appreciation in relation to gender and age. Body appreciation was higher in older than in younger women and women reported higher levels of body appreciation compared to men. While the importance of appearance was lower in older than in younger men and remained stable in women, neither gender was willing to relinquish a large amount of time for the sake of their appearance. Although we found higher body dissatisfaction for women than for men, both genders seem to be neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their bodies on average. Eating disorder prevention programs, or therapeutic approaches for several mental disorders, could benefit from a more functional perspective on the absence of body satisfaction, as this does not necessarily equate with the presence of body dissatisfaction.
Data Availability Statement
Ethics statement.
The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Ethics committee of Osnabrück University. Written informed consent from the participants’ legal guardian/next of kin was not required to participate in this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.
Author Contributions
HQ, SV, AH, and UB planned and conducted the study. RD and HQ analyzed the data. HQ wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the compilation of the manuscript and read and approved the submitted version.
We acknowledge support by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publishing Fund of Osnabrück University for the publication of the article.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Body Image In Society Essay
In today’s society we have created an impossible standard of beauty; the perfection of the body. The media has turned ordinary people with displeasure of their very own body image this displeasure may result in drastic measures such as disorders of behavior and low self esteem. In order to remove these thoughts of what an unachievable body should look like it is best for society to stop labeling perfections and imperfections. It is best for people to accept themselves and be glad with what they have. We need to stop viewing ourselves for what the media wants us to look like and start viewing ourselves for who we are.
With a view of educating everyone what body image is and the harm it leads to it may reduce the amount of body image going around the world and its side effects. As humans we all want to live a happy and successful life , but to live a happy life it means loving yourself first. In order to live a successful life you must have confidence in yourself, “People with high self esteem know themselves well, they’re realistic and find friends that like and appreciate them for who they are, people with high self esteem usually feel more in control of their lives and know their own strengths and weaknesses” (D’arcy Lyness ,PHD).
D’arcy Lyness shows that those with a higher self esteem in themselves tend to live a much better happy and successful life . Not only does D’arcy Lyness shows a successful happy life ,but that the more confidence you have you may discover who you are as a person when you discover who you are and are confident with the body you are in you can find your purpose and be more outgoing. When body image begins, a trigger must have been pulled to lower our self esteem.
One day we view our body as nothing to be considered about and with acceptance for who we are, but the next day we may notice or hear something that begins to make us question ourselves such as “what’s wrong with me? “,”why don’t I have what he/she has? “, or “whats going on with my body? ” ,so who pulls the trigger for a person to question themselves with their very own body? “Some people struggle with their self esteem and body image when they begin puberty, because it’s a time when the body goes through many changes… anting to feel accepted by our friends means it can be tempting to compare ourselves with others”(D’arcy Lyness,PHD) now who pulls the trigger? At times it us as D’arcy Lyness says as we grow puberty hits us and those around us as well. Some may grow more than us and we begin comparing one another lowering our self esteem leading to body image , but if we teach children while their young that as we grow puberty hits and we all change differently from one another it could reduce any body image conflicts in the future because children will know that it’s just part of a cycle and nothing is wrong with them nor their bodies.
Growing up not only do we pay attention to those near us, but to the famous people who are glorified by their beauty. Viewing a famous celebrity and comparing ourselves with them is a bullet straight to the eyes of the body,”our tweens and early teens are at a time when we become more aware of celebrities and media images… . ll of this can affect how we feel about ourselves and our bodies even as we grow “(D’arcy Lyness ,PHD) as D’arcy Lyness explains the older we get the the more it seems we become aware , but mostly in teens as they grow they notice and begin viewing these glorified bodies of famous celebrities it may lead one to excessive workouts or into eating disorders just to achieve a body that is made of plastic,photoshopped,or genes that could be running in the family, and that’s a thing that these tweens and teens must know that not every glorified body is the real deal.
A celebrity could have the most perfect body created by a plastic surgeon and a teen could be trying so hard to achieve this body by starving themselves. Showing our teenage children that not every single body they view on the red carpet is the actual thing could prevent a child from starvation or going into extreme workouts. In topic of growing up most people will want a child to begin looking a certain way to play the role of an image that a child is not , parents or coaches might be focused on having a child look a certain way or making weight for a sports team.
As a parent or coach will want a child to look a certain way it will lead pressure to the child. Both parent and coach will brag on to a child to look a certain way and lead a child to look at themselves and wonder what’s so wrong with them and the way they look . Forcing a child to look a certain way at a young age can be the start of a lifetime of body images and questions. Having low self esteem on your body may shut a person out the world, and lose opportunities due to not being comfortable in your own body, but having a high positive self esteem may lead to better advantages.
Parents must know that their child is not a build bear they can not just create their child into something they are not such as pressuring them to wear certain type of clothing or to be a certain weight. It is best to let a child be a child and let them discover who they are themselves and what they wanna be they may gain plenty of confidence by figuring out what they want to look like by them first. When we are born we are placed into a society full of labels and expectations, and within the society that we are placed they want us to meet these expectations placed on us if not we are judged for how we look.
The women are to be thin,tall,with a full set of hair,and a perfect face and the men are to be muscular,tall,with a perfect proportional face these are just a few standards of what a woman and a man are expected to look like, but besides society throwing these standards there is also the industry of beauty throwing standards and labels at us on what we should change about ourselves, “someone living in a city sees up to 5,000 ads per day…
Ads often feature models:men and women selling products their bodies held up as the implicit standards of beauty in modern culture”(Kristen Haglund) As Kirsten Haglund says a person may see 5,000 ads per day. With 5,000 ads per day a person views a model with the “ideal body” it is a model who is slim, tall, with perfect skin, and must have been digitally modified to impossible proportions of the body.
This model with the ideal body is seen next to the product that is wanting to be sold by the viewers, “The comparison that occurs between consumers and the images we see on a daily basis is bound to have have a major impact-and often does in the form of low self-worth, negative body image and eating disorder”(Kristen Haglund). Viewing the model next to the the product may lead a person to wonder whether they need these products or if they need to change anything about their body, but the problem is not what is being sold, what is being sold may help a person with a problem such as removing scars or stretch marks.
The actual problem is the model,there could be a chance that the model could have been digitally modified or that what is being sold does not work,see what I am saying is that those who makes these products to lose weight to achieve this perfect body that everyone is striving for could be false advertising what the product is suppose to do.
Think of it like this an advertiser will have a pill and say “this pill will make you thin or muscular guarantee” and call it the thin/muscular pill and with that pill have this beautiful picture of a model who is already thin or muscular and has not taken the pill, but the thing is the pill does not work the pill is just a pill is has no ability to make a person thin nor muscular, but because a person sees this beautiful thin/ muscular model next to a “thin/muscular pill” this person will buy this pill over and over but the pill will not do what it is suppose to,and the person will stay large along with questions or low self esteem wondering why the pill isn’t doing what is supposed to, they will wonder what is wrong with their body,and why they don’t have the body as the model in the picture this type of problem may lead one person into a lifetime of body image.
A person who is willing to buy a pill to lose weight or gain muscle must not know that they should be aware that not everything could be as it seems, and must know that the best way to achieve these things could be achieved by a healthy diet nd workout not only will the person gain what they are trying to achieve by a healthy diet and workout, but they will have the satisfaction that they achieved this goal by themselves in a healthy way,and if they could achieve one thing that seemed impossible for them they could achieve anything else . The media contributes a major part of body image no doubt in that especially in a society such as today.
The media gives us the unrealistic body types to view and glorify and tell us we are not okay with the way we look, an amount of women will be displeased with their very own body ,but say they are satisfied with themselves, beginning a battle with themselves, but could this battle also affect the women that we so much desire to be ? I’ve worked with models whose name you’d know based on how popular they are, and they’ve had to lie in bed for 20 minutes in the morning repeating themselves,” I am worthy to get up” because they think they’re ugly and they’re depressed and suicidal”(Tamar Anderson).
The women that we so much desire to look like go through the same battles as any other person the beauty we see in a model the model does not see in herself in fact the model could be depressed and suicidal as everyone else because we are all human who once in our life have battled with body image it is not just a certain person not race,religion, or gender we are all affected by body image.
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Add if you believe the company did what it did to start a more diverse line of clothing or because it succumbed to people's demand of wanting to see more realistic bodies in media. 7. Men's Body Image. Although most body image essays are about women, men also cope with self-acceptance.
Negative body image can lead to dangerous eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia. It can also take a risk to unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs. It is important to stress the effects of body image, because the world still struggles with this today. Society should not be affected by. 1082 Words.
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Steps For Improving Body Image. Unfollow accounts on social media that trigger negative body image thoughts and feelings. Identify and challenge negative body talk. Surround yourself with body-positive people. Set positive, health-focused goals rather than weight-related goals. Identify both physical and non-physical aspects of yourself that ...
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First and foremost, the researchers studying the problem of body image and the media agree on the point that the use of idealized body images in the media has an adverse effect on how individuals perceive themselves and their bodies. Thus, for example, Haas et al. (2016) argue that the negative consequences of an exposure to idealized media ...
Body image refers to a person's subjective perception of their own physical appearance. This includes how they view their size, shape, and overall appearance, as well as how they believe others perceive them. Body image can have a profound impact on a person's mental and emotional well-being, leading to issues such as low self-esteem ...
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Apr 28, 2015. University of Arizona. For college students and especially women, body image related issues are on many of our minds everyday. Being surrounded by peers of a similar age and experience makes for an environment where it is almost impossible to not compare yourself to others around you. Not to mention, the amount of stress that ...
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