By Emily Mathis
80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies. Why is it that so many women are “dissatisfied”? Many people point to the media and all the images we are fed as part of the problem. Between movies, TV, commercials, and magazines women are constantly being bombarded with what the media would like us to think is the “ideal” beauty. And we feed into it every time we say we don’t like ourselves because we don’t look like that model or that actress. We need to change the dialogue surrounding our bodies. Instead of hate and dissatisfaction we need to love ourselves no matter what images we see out there.
That’s why NOW (National Organization of Women) started the Love Your Body Day Campaign. The campaign centers on the idea that every woman needs to love and celebrate what makes her unique.
This year the UMKC Women’s Center has a display case in front of 105 Haag Hall comparing some offensive ads and positive ads, as well as information about Love Your Body Day. In addition, there is also a Love Your Body Day Book Display in Miller Nichols Library on the 2nd floor. Be sure to check out both of these displays.
October 19th is Love Your Body Day. So on that day, and every other day, you should treat yourself with kindness and respect and remember that you are worth it.
It’s sad to see how body-image is still a problem due to the influence of media. I believe that the media can be a source of influence in how a person shapes their view of their body, but people have to decide for themselves if they will look at the media around them and fall into the decision of being a stereotypical image. When you actually analyze the many times we are bombarded with images its sad. There is always images here and there, as you go along roads, along highways, and along your daily errands to this and that place. Women and men need to empower themselves and need to look towards a healthier body-image. What we see on billboards, magazines, and tv is not always true and real. These pictures that we see are mostly false in the sense that these pictures are altered and edited. We need to own ourselves in how we view our self-confidence and body-image. It takes a strong person to look passed what is given at the surface, and to understand that your body-image is beautiful according to what another person says.
Comments are closed.