The Perfect Body

Is the Perfect Body Worth It? Millions of people throughout the world would do anything to have that “movie star” body, but when is it too far? Martha was thirteen years old when she went on a diet of only salads and fruits. Her friends envied her because she had a healthy diet, but they didn’t know that it was all she was eating. Not eating enough wasn’t good enough for her though. Martha wanted to lose more weight so she decided to do sit-ups, leg lifts and jumping jacks on a daily basis. She was so hard-core with her diet and working out, she lost over fifty-five pounds. She started her diet at one hundred twenty-five pounds, and was hospitalized a year later at sixty-nine pounds (Cotter 14). People with low self-esteem continue to be a growing problem with Americans and can lead to life threatening diseases and unnecessary surgeries. There are many reasons why men and women think they aren’t skinny enough; in fact, society portrays that people with the perfect body lead a happier lifestyle than those who aren’t as skinny. Society puts too much pressure on people to have the image of a goddess, instead of how they look naturally. People’s success in life shouldn’t be measured by how beautiful they look, but by the achievements they have accomplished throughout their life (Ojeda 51). A good number of people think that by starving themselves or throwing up their meals, that they will lose weight and get the body they want. Eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia can be deadly depending on how long they’ve been sick (Cotter 12). Anorexia is when a person starves themself. Bulimia is when someone binges, stuffs themself at every meal, and then goes to the bathroom and purges, or throws it up. Everyone who suffers from these eating disorders has a low self-esteem, and worries too much about what other people think (31). Another popular procedure being done now is cosmetic surgery. This is a quick way for someone to lose fat and get

Cited: Berg, Frances M. Afraid to Eat. Healthy Weight Publishing Network. 1997. 11 October 2006. 31-33 Carson, Lindsay. Personal interview. 6 October 2006. Cotter, Alison. Anorexia and Bulimia. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2002. 8 October 2006. 12-31. Heller, Tania. Eating Disorders: A Handbook for Teens, Families and Teachers. Jefferson: McFarland & Company Inc, 2003. 7 October 2006. 28-99. Nash, Joyce D. Cosmetic Surgery. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 1995 11 October 2006. 34-36 Ojeda, Auriana. Body Image. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2003. 7 October 2006. 49-54.