Who Am I?: An Opinion

Dove-- The Campaign For Real Beauty

An epidemic of eating disorders is occurring. There is one main reason for this ever growing disease, the media. The media constantly gnarls and garbles our understanding of beauty. They emphasize imagery that is unhealthy, and sometimes even inhuman. Because of this, approximately one million American men and seven million American women are anorexic. Over 50 percent of girls ages 11 to 14 see themselves as overweight. In addition, the amount of people who contract eating disorders is rapidly increasing. Fortunately, there is something that we can do to help solve the problem.

The Campaign For Real Beauty is one way to put an end to eating disorders. The movement is designed to provide a foundation for societal change, and to widen the definition of beauty . The campaign is supported by Dove. Dove’s mission is to make women feel more beautiful everyday by challenging the modern stereotypical perception of attractiveness. So far, various ads have been put up, and lectures have been given. Many inspirational phrases have been constructed: “Grey and gorgeous”, “freckled and flawless”, and “wrinkled and wonderful”. I believe that this method is going to play a major role in diminishing the number of anorexia and bulimia cases that the world faces.

I am a firm believer in The Campaign For Real Beauty. Believe it or not, I have befriended over five people who have, or are battling with anorexia and bulimia. Scientific studies have shown that eating disorders are common among teenage girls, especially those in middle school and high school. They are common because teenage girls are constantly bombarded with the pressure to be thin. The media posts false pictures of women everywhere. Young girls are deceived into believing that there are people that actually look like the impostors on magazine covers. When the girls see these so-called "women" on the covers of magazines, they create a standard of beauty that is literally unachievable. However, the changes that have been made to every single one of the pictures have been hidden. As a result, the girls try to be physically identical to the ones in the photos. When they realize that they are incapable of the same appearance, the young ladies push themselves even further. This cycle continues, until death occurs. I believe that The Campaign For Real Beauty will help to put an end to eating disorders. By distributing a positive message across the female population, girls will no longer be mislead into believing that inhuman traits can be created. Every girl will learn to accept, and appreciate who they are.