ENG1101- Assignment 4 (Persuasive Essay) PDF

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Assignment 4: Persuasive Essay Statement: Unrealistic body images presented in the media promote physical and psychological diseases among women: Reading” Pressure to conform” (page 221) and “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of beauty” (page 541)

Media plays an integral part in everyone's life and it depends on how it has been used individually. It can have a good or bad influence regardless if someone follows it directly or not. The world of entertainment media always finds new strategies to market new products to influence and attract people. Mostly advertisements are prepared to target female consumers. Women being the biggest consumer of cosmetics, dietary, and beauty products are willing to pay any amount to look beautiful, young, and physically appealing. However, to show superiority and boost their self-esteem, women are caught up with a vicious circle to achieve the perfect body image due to which they suffer from physical and psychological diseases. The desperate desire to have a figure and looks like celebrities and models in the media has put women at mental and emotional stress along with the physical pain. The fantasy created by media around the glamorous world of fashion and beauty always attracts people. As it is unrealistic to imagine that everyone will have the same skin tone, height, and weight similarly try to match the looks and physical body structure as a professional model or a celebrity is unreasonable for the average women. A Maclean's poll shows that more women than men (forty-three percent to thirty-three percent) feel they are overweight. There are various trends popular on social media which show how to lose weight like intermittent fasting. My friend Jas who is 52 years old weight 200, height 5.7" often follows this pattern in which she fasts for sixteen hours and eats required calories only one-time a day. Milne, in reference, mentions that there are three to five percent Canadian women from the age of 14 to 25 that suffer from bulimia and one to two percent suffer from anorexia. Besides this, my other friend, Kiran always follow a strict diet in which she cut down sugar, grains, and dairy. Another overrated product that got so popular because of media is quinoa that has replaced wheat and rice in many Indo-Canadian families. Furthermore, in “Pressure to conform", (Milne) refers to Margaret Beck, acting director of the eating disorder center, affirms that danger. "The research," she says, "does seem to suggest that mothers who are food-and weight preoccupied tend to have daughters who are the same." That indicates how it is influencing the psychological mind of many women and pressurize them to follow this habit of dieting (222). Just like weight control and fitness have advantages and disadvantages, so does plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgeries help women with certain issues like fixing scars from burns or minor facial issues like the shape of the nose. Whereas constructive plastic surgery is to support and recover them for the lifelong issue they might have, but sometimes their obsession has gone far beyond this. Plastic surgery is a "Slippery slope," as Ria in Milne article mentions. It is like an addiction; even if women are going through discomfort and health issues, they will get it

done. About five or six percent of women are unhappy with their implants because they cause discomfort," says Rai, "but because they look good, they do not want them out." A few women are willing to forgo motherhood because pregnancy would ruin the trim bodies they achieve with their hard work like working out or dieting. Staying young is a woman's desire, and it becomes more compelling at a later age. After watching popular stories in the media highlight celebrities look before and after plastic surgery, rises the temptation among women, those are focused on their looks only. Aging with grace is not modeled in the media; instead, the old are trying hard to stay young by imitating teens lifestyle and looks. To achieve a body frame which looks twentyyear younger to their current age is a psychological issue and a matter of concern (224). Magazine cover projecting model of size zero able to attract many women. Young girls pretend to be cool and stylish like models in the media goes overboard and become a rebel. Due to low self-esteem, try new ways to get attention. That can be over-exercising in the gym, switching to a vegan diet, different make-over, or starting substance abuse. According to Dr. Kredenster, "society's preoccupation with body image has worsened over the past decade." More importance is given to look instead of character and values. The lack of belief in themselves to deal with their body insecurities leads to many physical problems and some women never get the courage to leave an abusive partner. There are also other factors such as family environment and upbringing that plays an important role in undermining their confidence. Moreover, if a daughter saw her mother fasting to lose weight that will make her daughter conscious about her weight too. Lack of self-confidence, self-esteem are the reasons that many women are unable to assess their essential role in society beyond looking beautiful. Although, nowadays the media has empowered women in many ways, and how women choose to invest their time and money to handle their body with respect is their personal choice. For centuries till now, on the name of religion or customs, women have been a victim of many rituals and beliefs. For example, women have no right to education, freedom to go outside freely, and have limited access to the outside world. That could be a reason women lack selfconfidence need validation from others even about the personal matters like their looks and body shape. It is a difficult battle to win when women try to do things to amuse others and they feel others will not like them if they do not look a certain way. The women passing her complex health and psychological issues to her daughter, and such things passed on at an early age are not easy to undo, as mentioned by Milne. Although the female is capable of playing many significant roles, social media is using them as a showpiece. Change of mindset and realization to accept the body the way it is and being comfortable with your own body is important for the mental health of the women. Sullivan quotes in article Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty, Social institutions, ideology, values, beliefs, and technology transforms a physical body into a social body." The appearance of a human body represents the individual interest and ideology (542). The human body is an artifact of social changes, and it is evident how media has had a significant impact on women and their bodies. The pressure to get acceptance from others have given women many physical and emotional issues. For example, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. While trying to resolve matters related to the body image women are adding up physical problems and psychological diseases as well. Unless women gain self-esteem to respect their body and stop blindly following superficial images projected in the media, it will be

difficult to solve these problems. In this marketplace, it is crucial to understand what is best for your mental and physical health. Women can achieve satisfaction and happiness if they refrain from getting validation from others about their looks. Instead, they should enjoy feeling good about themselves.

“Pressure to Conform.” Strategies for Successful Writing: a Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, by Celia Milne, Pearson Education, Inc., 2018. “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty.” Strategies for Successful Writing: a Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, by Deborah A. Sullivan, Pearson Education, Inc., 2018....