Obession with Being Thin

Thinness is defined differently in different cultures throughout the world. What is considered over weight has different implications in these cultures. American culture has become obsessed with thinness. The entertainment/advertising world portrays supermodels in magazines, movies, popular T.V. shows, catalogs, billboards, advertisements along with celebrities. The United States is a country that is well educated medically. Therefore the average American is very aware of what the proper height and weight should be. The body max index (BMI) is a standard that indicates the weight appropriate for certain heights. The American attitude towards body build looks at thinness as an indication of social class, social status, sexuality, grace and discipline.

The United States has become obsessed with thinness and there is an active attitude of prejudice against people who are overweight, particularly women. On the other hand this same culture’s attitude towards obesity is that the person is stupid, sick, self indulgent, neurotic, lazy, sad and ugly. One third of people in the United States are overweight. The media, people on the streets, and health professionals say that being obese is shameful. Obese people are discriminated against too. They are discriminated against for entrance to college, obtaining jobs, and receiving promotions. If you asked Americans to name famous people they would be able to more readily know supermodels and celebrities based on their “beauty” rather than someone who has done significant accomplishments for example the government

The fashion industry has had a huge impact on the perception of appropriate looks. The average supermodel is 5’9” in height with 125 pounds of weight. Ridiculously thin and presents with a look of gauntness. The fashion world states that the models must wear between a 2-6 dress sizes where the average American woman wears a size 12. This discrepancy can be very confusing for the average American woman. White females in America described the perfect girl as being 5’7, 100-110 pounds and look like supermodels. Different cultures and ethnicity can have an impact on the perspective of the perfect female. Obsession with thinness in the western standards of weight and weight control is responsible for the emergence of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa. It is difficult for the U.S. medical or psychological societies to know exactly how many cases of either disorder there are mainly because it is a disorder that is well hidden until it becomes a near life or death situation.