Learn to love your body

In class, we have been discussing how the media can influence the way in which we think and act. Young women all over the world are very unsatisfied with their bodies are beginning to take drastic measures to alter their look to make themselves feel better. Women all over the world are constantly seeing images of women who are lean and thin, but yet we are told that we should be skinny but curvy, coy yet sexy at the same time. It is all so contradicting it gives me a headache! We put many of these "ideal women" on a pedestal and we place them so high that it is nearly impossible to reach.

These factors not only affect non-athletes, they affect athletes as well. Many female athletes are constantly ridiculed for being "overly masculine" and too "manly" in appearance due to their toned bodies. Athletes constantly have pressure placed on them to keep a healthy presence for the media and when they become too thin or too big, the media instantly attacks. Since athletes are always in the "lime light" and have the constant pressure the have the "ideal" body, many athletes fall into the whirlwind of the female athlete triad. The triad consists of menstrual dysfunction (amenorrhea), disordered eating (anorexia/bulimia), and decreased bone density (osteoporosis). Most women who fall into this spiral downfall of the triad are dancers, gymnastics, divers, figure skating, etc. because of the constant pressure to remain thin and agile.

Women, both athletes and non-athletes need to learn about proper nutrition and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestlye. Most women have an "ideal" body shape that they want to achieve because of what they see in the media or because of pressure from coaches, parents, etc. But in reality, only about 2% of the population actually look like what women tend to view as "perfect" Women need to learn to love their bodies and that every body type is different from one another.

Alexis P- may intercession kin 338i