For all of you who hated looking in the mirror today

[randomtology]

Got this from my Sociology course today because we were discussing eating disorders and how people are being influenced to maintain unrealistic body sizes to conform to the "ideal body image".

Comparison of Body Sizes Average American WomanBarbie Doll (if proportioned to human size)Store MannequinHeight5 feet 4 inches (164.5cm)6 feet (182.8cm)6

Comments

[soysauce]

Yeeaaah. So many girls, even if they're skinny, have issues with their weight. I think it's ridiculous how much society puts focus on perfection and fixing imperfection. We're a lot more aware of insecurities media may create for the average girl or boy, now, since there are more available ways to educate yourself about low self-esteem, disorders such as anorexia and bulimia and what are the causes of them, but I don't see any significant change. In fact, it's gotten worse. :I IN MY OPINION, anyway. I don't think physical standards will change for a long time and that's unfortunate. :(

/IS BELOW AVERAGE HEIGHT, CRIES

[randomtology]

Yeah, I know lots of people who ARE skinny and still worry about their weight. Strangely enough several of them because they are considered TOO skinny by people , and receive crap for it when they can't really help it either because of health issues or they just have really fast metabolisms. And that's unfair as well.

And I agree, I unfortunately don't see an improvement of this coming about any time soon and I DO think it's getting worse. I heard one report in 2007 that some clothes designers/makers are making their sizes of clothes SMALLER (like they are shrinking down the size of the clothes and still calling it a size 14 or w/e) to "encourage weight loss". Which is pretty...shitty of them >>

/PATPAT. I'm well above it, but I'm also 5 1/2 inches taller than it. SO IT EVENS OUT FOR ME?

[soysauce]

I KNOW. It's like you... can't ... win. People hate themselves no matter what, and dat sucks. I have friends who are stick thin and worry about gaining weight, always talking about how they were so skinny the year before and now they're growing a TINY bit pudgy (LIKE MINIMAL PUDGE), and I'm like "DUDE.... WHO CARES MEAT IS GOOD" but idk. I've always been secure with myself so I can't relate as much as I'd like, but I think that what every person needs is support and praise, so that they know there's nothing wrong with them at all

[haverstock]

Have you seen the comparisons between an average man and G.I. Joe/Ken? It was more surprising to me than the comparisons of Barbie to the average woman.

[randomtology]

I've heard about it, yeah. But i've never seen the actual statistics. Mostly we focused on women's weight because there's a lot higher percentile of women with issues of weight than men. NOT THAT THERE ARE NO MEN THAT TAKE ISSUE WITH THEIR WEIGHT, just more often it's girls.

[haverstock]

Ah, I finally found the vid I was looking for! I thought you might be interested in this:

[stick]

Jesus Barbie, eat some doughnuts or something. :|

It makes me sad that girls that young are unhappy with how much they weight. They shouldn't have to worry about that stuff unless it's a real health problem or something. XD

[randomtology]

Many doughnuts :O I'm not surprised by her weight, but her height freaks me out. I DON'T...REMEMBER EVER MEETING A GIRL THAT WAS 6'. At most they are like 5'11"

I know, that's how it SHOULD be. But unfortunately society has pressured us so much that nearly everyone does it. EVEN I DO IT TO AN EXTENT DX

[stick]

My dad is 6'. I can't think of many girls that've been the same height as him. :| Her dress size gets me the most; and the mannequins, no wonder I always think they look kind of weird.

I DO IT TOO... But I try not to. D: It's freaky how media influence seeps in everywhere, even when we're not really paying attention to it. It seems a little like sub-conscious brainwashing.

[ex_boudica]

This stuff depresses me so much. :[ I work with a girl who talks about how she used to be anorexic; she's eighteen now, and she had it worst when she was about ten or so. It's really saddening that girls that age are desperate to the point of starving themselves before they're even fully grown.

[randomtology]

:( It is really depressing stuff. And man yeah, it's completely sad that she felt the need to starve herself at that age. But she's no longer practicing anorexia right? Or at least, trying to stop it?

[continuing]

That... is creepy e___e Ugh, Barbie you scary bitch jksdbgjbsdgsdg

[randomtology]

Yeeeah, I thought so too D: SHE'S SO TALL.