That’s not normal.

Sadly, the media has portrayed the wrong image of men and women. One study reports that at age 13, 53% of American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This grows to 78% by the time girls reach 17. This needs to stop. Teens are viewing pictures of unrealistic people, and when they strive to be like them, it often times ends in a negative consequence. It can lower many teen’s self esteem, and not only that, but it can also lead to unnecessary dieting and even serious eating disorders.

Everyone knows how women have body image issues, but what some don’t know is that men have them too. Take a look at Arnold Schwarzenegger, with veins bursting out of his large muscles. Or even popular movie stars, from Zac Efron to Taylor Lautner, shirtless heartthrobs that young guys strive to look like. “The media does have an impact on me because I try to stay with the trend sometimes when I wear clothes and don’t want to be out of style,” says Daksh Garg, 10. “The media tries to display images of guys with a solid body and great looks, like the guys you see in Abercrombie and Hollister,” he says.

“The media should stop altering the pictures they put out, and everyone should understand that you don’t need to have a ‘perfect’ body to be healthy,” says freshman, Mariah Vorce. One student says, “I mean, a lot of the time, I‘m content with myself, but when people come up to you and say “so-and-so” is gorgeous and perfect, you take a step back and scrutinize yourself.”

A weird thing happens when you’re a teen—suddenly, your body isn’t yours anymore. You grow and change in ways you don’t even expect. People shouldn’t be so easily influenced by others. For as we all know, no one is perfect. Take a look in the mirror-love the way you look.

Love yourself.

Posted on 2010-03-03