Piasecki 1

Emma Piasecki

Ms. Layson

English 11B

21 Mar. 2019

“Genes Load the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger”

Walking throughout New York City last spring break, the bright lights in Times Square

made me uncomfortable. The artificial light was not the problem; the problem was that

everywhere I turned my head I saw advertisements, ones that made me feel inferior to the models

promoting the product that they were assigned to. Looking down at the cold cement because I

did not want to feel any worse about myself, I questioned, “Is this what I am supposed to look

like?” Am I fatter than I thought?” These questions followed me down the stairs and onto the

busy subway. Again, I was surrounded by advertisements, ones that made me even more nervous

about my image. Overloaded with obsessive thoughts about my figure, I returned home with a

million concerns. Not only did I desire thinness, I wanted to avoid environments that gave me the

same feeling as I had in New York City. Every day, I look in the mirror and think I do not fit in

with what society wants me to look like. Influenced by the environment, body image is critical to

a person’s well-being. In today’s society, it is hard to keep up with the unrealistic expectations

brought upon by forms of communication, entertainment, advertisements, et cetera. A positive

body image is often hard to attain in modern-day society because of social media, pop culture,

and standards in the athletic community.

Quite simply, body image is the way in which one views oneself and how their personal

assessment influences their self-esteem. Body image is a slightly ambiguous term which changes
 Piasecki 2

because society is constantly adapting to the twists and turns the world provides. Variables

society produces that affect one's body image include “beauty standards, family environment,

peer influence, images in the media, personal experiences and medical conditions” (Body).

While body image issues are most common in teenagers, children and adults of any age can

exhibit problems regarding their assessment of themselves. Body image issues are prominent all

around the globe. A negative body image can lead to eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and

binge eating), depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, and tobacco use (Body).

One popular stereotype regarding body image is that issues most popularly arise in women,

contrary to men; in reality, both men and women are not satisfied with their image. Girls are

discontented with their image because society portrays the perfect body for a woman as slim and

toned; for boys, society’s picture-perfect image is someone who is strong with a low amount of

body fat. Unrealistic images portrayed in many forms of media result in a high number of people

with a low amount of satisfaction with their bodies.

First, a positive body image is often restrained through the prevalence of social media.

Teenagers, adults, and even young kids nowadays persistently check their phones, trying to keep

up with the world around them. Constantly bombarded by advertisements and persuasive posts

while on popular social media applications like Instagram and Facebook, it is often hard to find

the margin between what one personally wants versus what society desires for oneself. Because

of the addiction to social media, someone may be brainwashed into believing that models or

slogans in various posts and advertisements are what he or she is “supposed” to look like or do.

Recently, a plethora of posts on well-known websites such as Facebook is associated with a

movement called “fitspiration.” On the outside, this movement seems like it is promoting fitness;
 Piasecki 3

on the contrary, they are promoting a specific body type, a muscular one. When explaining the

relevance fitspiration posts have to promoting healthy exercise, Frances Bozsik states, “In fact,

one study has shown that an overwhelming percentage (72 percent) of these posts emphasize

appearance, rather than health (22 percent)” (Bozsik). Examples of pseudo advertisements

appear on the daily for people that acquire a social media account. Not knowing what natural

beauty is, one may be compelled to take measures, sometimes drastic ones, to attain a popular

trend they noticed on an online platform. It is unfortunate that social media is defined by

unattainable amenities. Instead of promoting all body types, unrealistic portrayals of beauty are

ingrained in one’s head from an illuminating piece of metal before someone falls asleep at night.

Next, body image is constrained through pop culture. Celebrities are put on a pedestal,

inspiring everybody from young adults to grandparents. They are seen in all forms of media, like

television and movies, and their looks often forecast trends. Well-known celebrities like Kylie

Jenner often intrigue individuals to alter their appearances. Kylie Jenner, most recognized for her

work in the cosmetic industry, is an example of how people make advances towards the

altercation of their image because of their celebrity idols. Many individuals took notice in

Jenner’s enhanced lips and sometimes took dangerous paths in order to get the same look as her.

People worldwide were involved in the movement; some people went far enough to inflate their

lips through a suction cup object like a shot glass, while others took the plastic surgery route.

Jessica Weiser, a dermatologist with New York Dermatology suggests there has been a rise in

young people attaining plastic surgery is because “We see these extremes in the media, and these

images translate into real-life requests by young women aspiring to their cosmetic ideal”

(Schaefer).
 Piasecki 4

Also, fat shaming is common in movies and television. Even though fat jokes may seem

light-hearted to people that do not suffer from weight problems, overweight people take these

comments to heart. Cracking a joke to someone about his or her appearance should not be

considered a social norm; because using juvenile remarks regarding one's weight is in the

spotlight often, it has become a normality. People watching media containing fat jokes may be

influenced to make fun of others for their weight, causing the person receiving the comment to

feel bad about their image. Overall, pop-culture can cast a shadow of doubt over one’s body

image through influencing someone to change their look or convincing someone else to cast the

same shadow through fat shaming and other forms of bullying they see present in the media.

Last, the pressure in the athletic community can sway an individual’s body image. Every

athlete has expectations set for them about how they should look, what they should eat, and how

they should act. Growing up, athletes strive to be like their athletic idols. Aspiring to become like

them in the future can influence the way in which they look at themselves in the mirror. Wanting

to succeed in a sport often has a sacrifice; in the worst case, the sacrifice for the promotion of

oneself can prove to be detrimental to one's health. Conducted by researchers, a study of division

one athletes found that “16 percent of respondents reported a drive for thinness comparable to

eating disorder patients… And 19 percent of the total group reported a level of body

dissatisfaction comparable to ED [Eating disorder] patients” (Lamb). In judged sports like

gymnastics, ice skating, and dance, an athlete's image has to be mere perfection in order for them

to receive the results they desire. In sports like football, a player may binge eat in order to appear

buff for the public- no one has ever seen a notable skinny football player. The strength of the
 Piasecki 5

pressure can weigh down one’s self-image because after repetitively trying to lose or gain weight

based on the image your sport gives off, your image can become distorted.

Questions arise about if the environment can influence someone’s body image. In an

article by Lisa Hilton, she explains that only foolish people would be persuaded to change their

image based on images in the fashion industry. She states, “And are women really so

pathologically stupid that they are unable to distinguish the fantasy of the runway from the

realities of their own bodies” (Hilton). Because images of models are on all forms of media,

people in society are pervaded with unrealistic portrayals of beauty. It is never someone’s choice

to decrease their body image, it is because of their surrounding environment. Even if someone

wanted to control her view of herself, it is common to be subconsciously persuaded by society’s

perception of beauty. When explaining the effect surroundings can have on someone’s image,

Cynthia Bulk, a clinical psychologist, states, “Genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger-

and right now the fashion industry has their finger on the trigger” (Bennett). The psychologist's

claims conflict with the statement by Hilton, so it is only rational to believe the expert with the

degree over a writer for a newspaper.

Body image can impact someone’s self-esteem positively or negatively. With the

persistence of social media, the influence of pop culture, and the pressures athletes face, it is hard

to maintain a healthy view of yourself. In social media, one may feel obligated to alter their

appearance because of posts that are telling them they should look like. Because of the

persuasion of pop culture, one may be influenced to look like how celebrities look, or fat-shame

others because they do not look like the stars. Constantly being pressured to be the best, many

athletes struggle to view themselves positively, leading to health effects like eating disorders. As
 Piasecki 6

active citizens of society, it is our responsibility to protect our neighbors, friends, and families

against the harmful stereotype of beauty that our environment provides us. We need to stop

buying from companies that make our loved ones feel bad about themselves. When we buy from

these companies, it is only encouraging them to continue advertising unrealistic images. We need

to educate each other about how one brand, platform, or celebrity, should not dictate the way we

feel about ourselves. Taking these precautions is the only way we can encourage more people to

inherit a positive body image. The force of many overrides the strength of one. Hand in hand, we

can help our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and friends take a look in the mirror and think,

“Wow, I look stunning.”

Works Cited

Bennett, Jessica. "The Fashion Industry Promotes Eating Disorders." ​Eating Disorders,​ edited by

Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010128244/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=0803c619. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "Why Skinny Models

Are Making Us Fat," ​Newsweek,​ 8 Feb. 2007.

"Body Image." ​Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection​, Gale, 2018. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3010999221/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=b0f48974. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.

Bozsik, Frances, and Brooke L. Bennett. "The ideal female body type is getting even harder to

attain." ​Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection,​ Gale, 2019. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/KZGBCD102012902/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid

=OVIC&xid=733aa4a4. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "The ideal

female body type is getting even harder to attain," ​The Conversation,​ 26 Mar. 2018.

Hilton, Lisa. "The Fashion Industry Should Not Be Held Responsible for Eating Disorders."

Eating Disorders,​ edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing

Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010128245/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=8333fffc. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "What's Wrong with

Skinny?" ​thedailybeast.com​, 8 Feb. 2010.

Lamb, Lynette. "Athletes Are More Vulnerable to Anorexia than Non Athletes." ​Anorexia​, edited

by Karen F. Balkin, Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010003219/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=53fa145b. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "Girl Athletes and

Eating Disorders," ​Daughters,​ vol. 7, 2002, pp. 1-3.

Schaefer, Kayleen. "Girls Are Taking Drastic Measures To Achieve the Perfect Instagram Snap."

Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection,​ Gale, 2019. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/ZDPKRV953665122/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid

=OVIC&xid=bade7990. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "Girls Are

Taking Drastic Measures To Achieve the Perfect Instagram Snap," ​Teen Vogue​, 20 Oct.

2015.