How many times have I heard girlfriends proclaim that they would have loved to live in the 17th Century, when plump women were idealized? Throughout history, the canons of beauty have evolved tremendously, making people adopt different eating habits, make-up techniques, wigs and haircut styles. Fashion has been dictating people’s behavior for centuries. However, with the arrival of modern communication, the world entered an era where the canons of beauty have become more and more specific and widespread.
The venerated ideal body has had perverse effects on the human psyche. In fact, a recent study conducted amongst teenagers has shown that body image has an impact on happiness in girls as young as 10-11 years old. There is something seriously wrong about little girls caring about their physical appearance instead of playing.
Media, the fashion industry and the star system bombard us with images of happy healthy slender people. No wonder we believe that resembling these icons will guarantee us of eternal joy. We fail to forget that these people earn their livelihood with their appearance and that, for commercial purposes, technology plays a big role in making them look perfect.
We are nevertheless left with an ideal that is nearly impossible to attain. How many plastic surgeries will people be willing to undertake in order to get as close as possible to that ideal? How many diets will people put their body through in hope of achieving that perfect body?
Human beings have been compromising their mental and physical health for centuries to try to get closer to the image they have of ideal beauty, thinking it would lead them to happiness. Does it really? The problem is not the desire one has to get in shape or to be healthy, it is the negative perception we have of ourselves, and the feeling of inadequacy this perception generates.
In the end, we need to focus on getting healthier. Health and happiness are intimately linked. And, in general, when you feel good, the energy you project is positive and you glow with a beauty that no artificial makeover could ever give you.
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