Feature Rough Draft

Barbie: long, shiny, blonde hair, fashionable, able to accomplish every career known to man, and most importantly, sporting an impossible figure.

Influencing the lives of young women today is what they see on television, in the magazines they read, and even the toys on the store shelves.

“Body image is really important to me,” said Bailee Mayne, a fourteen-year-old eighth grader. “I don’t have a lot of self confidence to begin with, I’m really conscious about how I dress, how my makeup looks, and how I look in my clothes.” Mayne explained that she is a cheerleader, runs track, and is an award winning pageant contestant.

“Sure, my activities make it seem as though I should feel confident in my own skin. Unfortunately, I don’t.”

The covers of the magazines you see when you are checking out at the grocery store typically display topics such as: Best and Worst Beach Bodies, and Best and Worst Dressed of the Week. Pictures include women in sleek, form-fitting clothing, showing off their bodies.

According to research done by the American Research Group: Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc., exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed women is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of not only, unhealthy eating habits, but eating disorders as well, in women and girls.

The research group also says that one out of every four college-aged women have turned to some sort of unhealthy eating habit. Examples include: fasting, skipping meals, excessively exercising, abusing laxatives, and self induced vomiting.

“I know I could be thinner,” said Brittany Thissen, another eighth grader lacking in self-confidence. “I asked my mom to start packing me only healthy food in my lunch. I don’t really think it’s a diet, I’m just trying to eat healthier, especially in front of my friends.”

Teen magazine reported that 35 percent of girls six to twelve years old have been on at least one diet. The magazine also reported that 50 to 70 percent of normal weight girls felt that they were overweight, or would be more confident if they lost weight.

Striving for that perfect beach body, or longing to make it onto that best dressed list can cause self-esteem issues, confidence problems, and even lead to eating disorders.

How necessary is that impossible figure? After all, we all know that if Barbie could talk the first things she would ask for is bigger feet, a hot fudge sundae, and a breast reduction.