Healthy Girl's Guide to Body Image - Class Project

THE

HEALTHY

GIRL'S GUIDE

TO SURVIVING

BEAUTY TRENDS & BODY IMAGE

WHAT I WISH I KNEW ABOUT:

BODY IMAGE

& HEALTH DEAR BAD GIRLS,

As a part of our Women's Studies 3351G "What I Wish I Knew About" Project, we decided to explore changing health, beauty and body trends that were prevalent during specific time periods: the 1950's, 1960's, 1990's, 2000's and today! In doing so, we wanted to critique the everchanging and often contradictory body image fads by demonstrating how these unrealistic bodies are actually achieved. Ultimately, our goal is to show you young girls and women that beauty and body trends are always shifting and that your body is not a trending topic.

SINCERELY,

Jenna, Kari, Laurene, Michelle & Natasha

1950s THE

LOOKING

BACK ON THE 1950'S

1950 "WHILE MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN VARIED DURING THIS TIME, WE NOTICED THAT CURVIER, FULL-FIGURED BODY TYPES WERE LARGELY DEPICTED AS BEING MORE BEAUTIFUL, DESIRABLE AND GLAMOROUS."

MARILYN MONROE, BETTY PAGE, BRIGITTE BARDOT & SOPHIA LOREN, ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THIS HOURGLASS SHAPE, WITH FULLER BREASTS, WIDER HIPS, AND NARROW WAISTS.

WOMEN WHO WEREN'T "CURVY" WERE OFTEN ENCOURAGED TO GAIN WEIGHT - OR FAKE IT.

BUT

AS WITH ALL TRENDS, THIS CURVE-CRAZE EVENTUALLY DIED OUT, AND BY THE END OF THE 1950'S, WOMEN WERE CONCERNED WITH SHEDDING THE POUNDS. IN FACT, SOME PEOPLE EVEN RESORTED TO DRAMATIC AND UNHEALTHY WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT, SUCH AS TAPEWORM PILLS (SOUNDS GROSS, RIGHT?)!

THIS DEMONSTRATES THE DRAMATIC SHIFT IN BODY IMAGE IDEALS OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND JUST HOW UNSTABLE TRENDS TEND TO BE!

AND THEN, IN 1959, MATTEL INTRODUCED:

SHE SPORTED A RATHER SLIM FIGURE. (COINCIDENCE? WE THINK NOT! )

Following in Barbie's footsteps was British fashion model Twiggy, in the 19960's

TWIGGY WAS KNOWN FOR HER INCREDIBLY SLIM FIGURE, AND AS SUCH, THE TREND OF RAIL-THIN, BOYISH BODIES BEGUN.

FAST FORWARD

30 YEARS (AND A LOT OF TRENDS)

LATER:

s ' 0 9 9 E H 1 T

DURING THE 19990'S, ROCK AND GRUNGE HIT THE MAINSTREAM MUSIC SCENE - ALSO DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, WAIF MODELS WERE PREVALENT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY. THIS LARGELY REDEFINED WHAT SOCIETY CONSIDERED TO BE “BEAUTIFUL.” AS A RESULT, MANY WOMEN DESIRED TO LOOK LIKE THE MODELS THAT GRACED THE COVERS OF 90'S MAGAZINES: PALE, GAUNT, ANDROGYNOUS, AND VERY SKINNY - IT WAS ALL ABOUT SKIN AND BONES!

KATE MOSS & "HEROIN CHIC" MANY WOMEN DID NOT (NATURALLY) LIVE UP TO THIS BODY TREND - SO, THEY RESORTED TO DRASTIC MEASURES TO LOSE WEIGHT: DRUG ABUSE. HEROIN, CIGARETTES AND ‘CLUB DRUGS’, SUCH AS COCAINE AND ECSTASY, WERE OFTEN USED TO PROVIDE ENERGY (SINCE THEIR BODIES WERE SO MALNOURISHED!), AND TO CURB APPETITE AS A MEANS TO LOSE WEIGHT.

ALTHOUGH THESE DRUGS DID CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS, THEY ALSO CAUSED MANY OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS, SUCH AS: SEVERE TOOTH DECAY, LUNG AND KIDNEY DAMAGE, INCREASED RISK OF HEART ATTACKS, AND INFERTILITY - NONE OF WHICH SOUND TOO GLAMOROUS, IF YOU ASK US!

THIS TREND OF THE SICKLY SKINNY BODY HAD LONG LASTING NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE HEALTH OF WOMEN WHO TRIED TO LOOK “HEROIN CHIC," JUST LIKE KATE MOSS.

2000 to 2010

CULTURAL CONCERNS ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN CAN BE SEEN DURING THE 2000'S TO 2010'S. MEDIA DURING THIS TIME FOCUSED ON EXTREME WEIGHT-LOSS STORIES, DIET PILLS AND PLANS, AND PHOTO RETOUCHING.

AIRBRUSH -NATION

WOMEN FELT AN INCREASING NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT AND FOLLOW DIET PLANS THAT THEIR CELEBRITY ICONS WERE ENDORSING. HOWEVER, THE IMAGES OF THESE CELEBRITIES WERE HEAVILY EDITED DURING THIS TIME DUE TO A GROWING OBSESSION WITH AIRBRUSHING AND PHOTOSHOPPING PROGRAMS.

WOMEN WERE BEING FED DIETING ADVICE AND BOMBARDED WITH UNREALISTIC DEPICTIONS OF BEAUTY DURING THIS TIME. AS A RESULT, WOMEN WERE OFTEN TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT HEALTHY ENOUGH OR NOT THIN ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL.

COSMETIC SURGERY

SINCE THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN WERE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS DESIRED LOOK THROUGH DIETING ALONE, MANY RESORTED TO COSMETIC SURGERY TO ACHIEVE THIS UNREALISTIC BEAUTY STANDARD IMPOSED ONTO THEM BY SOCIETY, THE MEDIA AND CELEBRITIES.

2010 to 2015

"Strong Is The New Skinny" IN 2010, THERE WAS A SHIFT FROM SKINNY BODIES TO STRONG BODIES. AS A RESULT, WOMEN DURING THIS TIME WERE INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN STRENGTH TRAINING (AND NOT JUST DIETING! ) THANKS TO CELEBRITIES LIKE JESSICA BIEL. IT WAS NO LONGER ABOUT BEING SKINNY, BUT ABOUT BEING FIT.

BRINGIN' BOOTY BACK

LOOKING AT BODY TRENDS TODAY, WE SEE AN EMPHASIS ON CURVES AND FULLER FIGURES - MUCH LIKE THE PIN-UP GIRLS OF THE 50’S. IN 2010 TO 2015, CELEBRITY FIGURES LIKE KIM KARDASHIAN, MEGHAN TRAINER AND NICKI MINAJ ARE REPRESENTING THIS NEW BODY TREND OF CURVES AND BIG BOOTYS.

Y T O O B E H T IS BACK

AN D B I GG THA E R N E VER !

#THINSPO (Definition: "Thin Inspiration")

AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO SEE THE TREND OF #THININSPIRATION (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS #THINSPO) ONLINE, WHICH PRESSURES GIRLS INTO ACHIEVING NARROW WAISTS AND THIGH GAPS THROUGH EXTREME EXERCISE AND DIETING.

THE TAKE-AWAY ON:

BODY IMAGE

& HEALTH

As this handy guide to surviving beauty and body trends demonstrates, widespread ideals are not only contradictory and (often) unhealthy, but they are also incredibily unrealistic when applied to individual bodies - 'cause you can’t have a thigh gap, be stick-thin like Kate Moss, and have a behind like Kim Kardashian all at the same time.

The ideal body is not the right body for everyone You're an individual, and you should be treated as such. Finding a healthy lifestyle that works for YOU is what matters most!

AND REMEMBER:

Your Body is Not a Trending Topic!

TIPS ON MOVING TOWARDS A

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 1) Listen to your body as it will let you know when it needs to eat, when it needs to rest, and when it requires attention and self-care.

2) Figure out what works for you, your body, and your lifestyle: What foods fulfill your health needs or goals?

How much sleep do you need to feel well-rested? What kinds of exercise feel rewarding? What thoughts, behaviors, or environments enhance or harm your wellbeing and overall health?

3) Recognize that bodies are meant to change as we age, grow, and experience hardship and pleasure throughout our lives - change doesn't have to be bad!

4) Bodies have different capabilities and strengths, and some bodies require more care and attention than other bodies - do not compare your individual needs to the needs of others 5) Be social and cultivate a community of positivity and support with others

6) A healthy lifestyle is more than just the shape of your body, - it is the harmonization of your mental, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and physical well-being.

7) Above all, be patient with your self and your body and remember to love yourself!