Essay Sample on The Benefits and Consequences of Standards

An hourglass shape isn’t for everyone, nor are the abs and sculpted body. Bodies are unique around the world, in addition, beauty standards should not disfigure beauty that can be hidden on the inside. Beauty standards have been around in primeval times, recorded in an old newspaper. One example is in China in the years 1000-1350; women were seen as beautiful the smaller their feet were which is where foot binding was established. The women would break the arch of the foot to create a smaller appearance, creating extravagant shoes worn only for show. Now it is seen as beautiful to have a slim figure, we ourselves create extravagant ways to enhance figures or physical beauty. Standards can be damaging to the perception of a healthy body; nor should they have a major impact on mental or physical health like it does today.

Body image can damage the perspective of young minds through people of authority or television. In today’s world, children are surrounded by television where they see models and “children look in the mirror” looking at their stomach or legs wondering if they “look like the model on TV” or if they are pretty enough. (Clapper)  Asking yourself this at such a young age can change the way you think as an adult, of thinking if you are good enough or skinny enough. If you are thinking that you are not enough as a young undeveloped child, as a developed adult it can become tremendously worse. In the book Matched by Ally Condie, the world as she knows it is under control by the Society that is all-knowing and they want the residents to be as “perfect” as the Society can get them. This meant regulating their meals, sizes, and nutrition health, slowly the officials started to lessen Cassia’s [the main character] meal portions to help her lose stress and weight so that she was “perfect in the societies’ eyes.” (Condie, 42)  Making her later in the story push herself so far until she eventually couldn’t push to be perfect for the Society anymore. Perfection is not a thing that is easily reached if at all, through striving for perfection or looking at it through a television screen, it is seen that imperfections are everywhere and people shouldn’t shun them but instead embrace them. Although it can lead to dangerous or unhealthy outcomes with fitness.

Benefits of fitness standards can be reached if taken at a tolerable level or can damage bodies if overstimulated. Exercise can be done at a healthy level to boost moods or help prevent “Type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer, or heart disease” it is also seen to help the “1 in 24” women who are diagnosed with depression every year, men are more likely to see results if doing exercise at a healthy rate. (Semeco) This can lead back to the word tolerable, exercise can be healthy unless taken advantage of. Health risks can be taken down with the simple task of walking, it helps heart disease, it helps types of cancer, and it helps type 2 diabetes. Either health is taken seriously or it is taken as a joke until it is too late, in Matched, Cassia has to be “at optimal health” for the Society to work properly, they do not force Cassia to push herself as far as she did although she is “at optimal health” she continues to push. Cassia is seen as healthy but is also the result of not taking in exercise at a tolerable amount. (Condie, 163) Pushing yourself can be healthy but when reaching an “optimal” health level for someone else is when it can become dangerous.  A healthy amount of exercise can help prevent major health problems or can drain bodies if taken in at an excessive rate. Proven to help with mental illnesses, some still argue against exercise saying it is damaging to both physical and mental health. 

The fitness coming from beauty can damage the body mentally and physically. Fitness is a healthy hobby, although… a study with the University of New Mexico shows that fitness can lead to the discontinuation of “body dysmorphia” one of the leading disorders in teenagers “Depression and Anxiety” are not seen in men who exercise for more than 4-6 weeks. Likewise, women of larger sizes are seen with a “higher metabolism” after more than 2 years of rigorous exercise. (Lindberg) While others can oppose fitness, it is a healthy way to improve your personal beauty standards instead of surgery to enhance physical beauty. Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and anorexia are the leading disorders in the United States. In today’s world, humanity needs positive body image and exercise. Beauty and fitness standards are able to be seen as negative and positive.

Beauty is shown for what it is, damaging beauty standards are seen around the world, and they can become influential to a damaging point if our minds allow it. Fitness and beauty standards can be damaging to mental health, especially for women. Although the standards are not healthy, a healthy perception of exercise that is not to change yourself or to please others can be beneficial to the mind instead of damaging it; with the standards, 1 in every 24 women are diagnosed with depression every year. These standards can lead to body dysmorphia, anorexia, bulimia, and other mental illnesses. Is this really self-improvement or self-destruction?

Works Cited

Clapper, Kara. “Why Beauty Standards Are Stupid.” Science Leadership Academy @ Center City, 25 Mar. 2021, https://scienceleadership.org/blog/beauty_standards_are_stupid. 

Davis, Jala, et al. “The Ugly Side of Beauty Standards: A Two-Part Series.” The East Carolinian, 7 Nov. 2021, http://www.piratemedia1.com/thehook/article_00c102fc-3cba-11ec-b6a7-93b555598841.html. 

Semeco, Arlene. “Exercise: The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 14 Dec. 2021, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise.

“The Benefits of Being Beautiful: Does Looking Good Help You Get Ahead?” Holmes Place Corporate, 2022, https://www.holmesplace.com/en/en/blog/lifestyle/looking-good-helps-you-get-ahead#:~:text=For%20both%20genders%2C%20smooth%20skin,symmetry%20are%20related%20to%20intelligence. 

Lindberg, Sara. “Strenuous Exercise: Benefits, Examples of Vigorous Activity.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 21 May 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/strenuous-exercise. 

Condie, Ally. Matched. Penguin, 2011.