Slim to None
Jessica Sommerville
Self-image is a huge part of our daily lives. The way we perceive ourselves reflects our emotions and actions towards others but more prominently, in most people’s lives, is the way others see us. Society has cornered us into believing that the people we see on T.V, celebrities etc. are the pure staples of how men and women are supposed to look. As time has progressed, not only has technology advanced, but so has self-consciousness. With the progression of our societies advancing more rapidly, the technologies we create to make our lives easier must also advance. This has pushed science to the limits creating many different ideas and materials that are able to help humans maintain a certain “self-image” that society has made us accept as “beautiful”. The implementation of dieting, diet pills and the constructed social stigma all has had a profound impact on the way we view ourselves in the collective.
Each year, Canadian’s spend up to about $40 billion on weight-loss related programs and help sessions. This statistic alone tells you how important self-image is to the average person. With the implementation and improvisation of many different programs, the scientific method has perfected techniques allowing people to get results quicker. Firstly, the motivation for dieting in the first place begins with a dissatisfaction of one’s self appearance. This immediately prompts change in those individuals who have a strong behavioral intention. This also strongly conflicts with societal norms. In today’s age, there seems to be a strong preference for people to right away lose weight once they feel they do not fit in with what our society has defined as “beautiful”. Not only have dieting programs been fine-tuned since their inception into society. There are literally thousands of different diets out there all with their own special beneficial pros which help aid those who wish to lose weight but at the same time spend thousands of dollars in the process. These diet programs which claim to do what they can to make you thin and also promise you certain results make even more money off of the anxiety and shame each individual feels about them. Overall, although advancements in technology have been refined and improvised because of our consumer needs, the way of reshaping our bodies because of being fed advertising lies may still be the true underlying problem with how we see ourselves physically.
The Term Paper on Make Mone Television Society People
Man lives in a world erected by the stories that he hears, sees and tells. These stories and their messages socialize people into roles of gender, age, class, vocation, and lifestyle. Stories of the American society weave the seamless web of its cultural environment, cultivating most of what people think, what they do, and how they conduct their affairs. This has become an important issue to ...
Secondly, because of our constant need for a quicker solution to the problem, certain diet pills have been created in order to aid us in losing weight. Many different pills, medications and diuretics have been created in order to help those who want to lose weight a quicker way which totally negates healthy eating and physical activity. This is simply taking some sort of “short cut” which does not promote any other sort of way to lose weight. An analogy of this situation (using diet pills) is the grandma feeding her little grandson chocolate cake and then asking why he is so fat. It is contradictory in itself to say the least where most people consuming these expensive pills are not changing any other part of their lifestyle to lose weight and become healthy. They are still eating unhealthy, remaining sedentary, smoking, drinking etc. The fact is, there is no pill which will just give you results that people are searching for physically. Again, not only is this not healthy but the excessive money which is being put into this form of weight loss can be devastating.
Finally, the most detrimental aspect with respects to dieting in today’s society is the social aspect which follows each type of dieting procedure. This may be indirectly controlled by technological advancements in dieting programs and also medications to help people lose weight. Since the motivation to start dieting in the first place is because of a certain level of self-dissatisfaction, people have most certainly compared themselves on some level to the physique of someone else. This shows a certain level of advertising that plays an important role in our lives. May this be through television, newspaper, magazines etc. everywhere we look we are bombarded by visions of the ideal man or woman. Through certain levels of propaganda, we have been made to feel alienated and self-conscious about our image when in reality; pure health is all that matters and not how you are considered to others. This certain social stigma attached to being thin and good looking is a mere myth that pushes millions of people to spend a large amount of money while these companies who try to sell their loyalty take it all to the bank.
The Essay on South Beach Diet Weight Loss
South Beach Diet The South Beach Diet is a relatively new weight loss diet. It was developed by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M. D. , who is the director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center. The diet is meant to promote weight loss but not at the expense of heart health. Unlike other wildly popular low-care plans, South Beach calls for keeping tabs on saturated fats and favors lean ...
In conclusion, the primary goal should be health. We should try to find a way of life (including diet, exercise, and other factors) that help us feel our best. Diets and weight loss pills do not work unless you change your lifestyle as well. If the diet industry really wanted to assist people in weight loss they would help them understand their appetite, how to eat with hunger, how to recognise fullness and not to override it. That is the key to losing unwanted pounds, your lifestyle.
References
1. http://www.freedieting.com/
2. http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/20
3. 08/01/the_diet_indust.html
4. http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/diet-pill.htm
5. http://www.ftc.gov/os/1998/03/weightlo.rpt.htm
6. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-2222867.html
