Understanding the Impact of Body Image and Self-Esteem

The Reality of Eating Disorders

This mindset often causes teenagers to stop eating or avoid school because they fear being humiliated by their peers. How would you feel if I told you that at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S.? Are you impressed? Shocked?

The Pressure to Conform

Body image has destroyed many lives, as it can lead to anorexia, bulimia, eating disorders, bullying, or cyberbullying. Many teenagers look up to models, which makes them change their appearances to look "good" and "satisfied." But does it really work? Would you feel satisfied if someone made an offensive comment about your body and forced you to change into someone else? I wouldn't. I wouldn't let myself stop eating to become thin, or pretend to eat so nobody worries, only to vomit later—or even worse, take my own life. Not feeling comfortable with myself and being afraid to go to school... I can't imagine how horrible that would be. I think about how lonely people who suffer from this must feel if they don't have someone to talk to and trust, leading them to do things they might regret.

The Pain of Discrimination

One thing that really gets on my nerves is when someone discriminates against another person. I would personally feel devastated if that happened to me. Discriminating against people in general is a horrible thing to do, but discriminating against others because of their:

• Culture
• Religion
• Skin color
• Looks
• Race

I simply cannot stand it. This is what pushes others to feel uncomfortable with who they are. And why? All because of their appearance or body image.

Embracing Individuality and Education

Although body image issues lead to dangerous problems, positive body image can also transmit self-confidence to others. Just as it can make people feel insecure, you can also learn to feel comfortable with who you are and what you look like. I personally feel good about myself. I have strengths and weaknesses, of course, but so does everyone else. In the end, that is what makes everyone different and interesting. Can you imagine if we were all the same? "Boring" would be the perfect adjective to describe it.

So, I think we should start teaching others how not to bully, how not to discriminate, and how not to offend—rather than just teaching victims how to defend themselves. Education really influences these problems, as most of these incidents happen during school years.