Society has always placed a great emphasis upon the importance of a woman's appearance, and through that emphasis women have instinctively been taught to measure their self-worth in terms of the image they present, even more so than their intelligence. They have been given rigid and challenging standards to live up to, standards that are usually unrealistic, unattainable, and disheartening. Many women spend a large majority of their lives suffering trying to meet these standards. The ideal body image in this country today seems to be the long-haired 5'7", 95 lb female found in every fashion magazine, every sitcom and every movie you will ever see. However, many women at 5'7" could starve themselves for their entire lives and die of malnutrition before they would reach 95lbs, and many women do.
Despite the fact that society and the media have sent the message to today's women that self-esteem should be based upon image, women have still made notable advances on the fashion front within the past century. Women no longer have to wear skirts or dresses every day, and pants have become suitable everyday attire. Short haircuts for women are now widely accepted and even fashionable. Women have come a long way, but still have a long way to go in terms of breaking down the common stereotype that says that the attractive woman has to be nearly perfect, and coming to an understanding that attractive comes in many shapes and sizes.
s to improve their appearances, even at the risk of their health or discomfort. Women spend billions of dollars every year to have silicone put into their breasts, to get their noses reshaped, o
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