9 This new lifestyle would not be complete without the right diet to accompany it.
According to Ambika Wauters, what we eat is a reflection of our inner selves ...
True Beauty
by Lisette Handumon
English 102-007 Mr. Kulycky 8 July 2002
Handumon i True Beauty Thesis Statement: Americans should be more concerned with good health than with good looks. I. Cultural obsession with beauty and youth A. Changing definition 1. Plus-size beauty 2. Glamour of thinness a. Anorexia b. Bulimia B. Cost of beauty C. Media stereotypes 1. Masculinity 2. Femininity II. Growth of obesity 1. Health problem 2. Educational factor
Handumon ii III. Fitness A. Growing trends 1. Exercise 2. Diet B. Benefits 1. Confidence 2. Lower health risks 3. Longer age expectancy IV. More than skin-deep A. Personality B. Lasting impressions
Handumon 1 True Beauty 1
Beauty has always been sought after regardless of culture. The desire to be accepted, admired, and considered beautiful remains similar throughout all nations, but Americans should be more concerned with good health than with good looks.
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The definition of beauty seems to change as fast as the endless cycle of designer fashion. A recent Chicago Tribune article states evidence that former sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe, wore a size 12, but modern fashion dictates that she would be considered a plus-size actress (“Thin Is In, but Not Healthy”). By today’s standards, thin seems to be in, which partly plays a role in the rise of eating disorders.
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Although the origins of eating disorders remain varied, it is an obvious act to regain control in this chaotic world (Passalacqua). From anorexia to bulimia, the world has seen countless lives being wasted away in the quest for thinness; in a culture fascinated by outward appearance, destructive habits often start at a young age and develop gradually. “By college age, according to one study, one of every four women is fasting, skipping meals, abusing laxatives, inducing vomiting or engaging in other unhealthy behavior to control weight” (“Thin Is In, but Not Healthy”). People need to
Handumon 2 realize that sacrificing their bodies to fit into stereotypical definitions of beauty is unfulfilling. 4
It is amazing to see the extent to which people will go to conform to today’s standards of beauty, from the extremes of breast enlargements, to the subtle injections of botox, to the common practice of liposuction. The dangers and hazards surgery poses are common knowledge, yet many people are still willing to take the risks and endure the cost as well as the pain. Costs range from the low hundreds to the upper thousands, and according to one cosmetic surgeon, a waiting list actually exists for people who want the surgery but do not have the present cash flow to fund it (Scheer).
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Just the mere mention of plastic surgery often brings about mental images of older women trying to recapture their youth, but it is not just women who are susceptible to the influences of a youth-seeking culture. These days, men are also looking for an easy way to enhance their appearance, and it is not surprising to learn that during the past couple of years, the number of men turning to plastic surgery has nearly doubled (Omelianuk). Men are not immune to the powerful messages of the media that have determined our society’s concepts of beauty.
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The media have the power to influence many, and this often includes the power to shape the societal definition of beauty. The media influence both
Handumon 3 men and women alike and do so using many outlets. Television would be the primary example. It can sway many and often idealizes certain celebrities and plays a critical role in determining the sought-after attributes that define beauty just from the commercials it runs. Magazines also shape and influence the definition of beauty, and it is easy to see why. The act of walking down a magazine aisle will show flawless models on the front covers and headings that often have to do with achieving that certain look with beauty tips. It is almost impossible not to compare oneself to the models inside the magazines, but doing so often lowers self-esteem levels from the realization of the impossible task of duplicating a model’s look, and rightly so because the models themselves did not appear that way without the help of stylists to enhance their looks and the help of an airbrush to hide what flaws they have. 7
This impossible task often leaves a sense of hopelessness for others, and some allow their bodies to endure an over-abundance of food, being passive in the war to be thin. According to Science, “[M]ore than half of U.S. women and men age 20 and older are now considered overweight and nearly one-quarter are clinically obese” (Wickelgren). Billions are spent in the diet industry as Americans grow more aware of the dangers of obesity, yet this disease is still on the rise (Wickelgren). “The Worldwatch Institute released
Handumon 4 a report recently that said for the first time in history, there may be as many people overweight as there are underfed” (Overholser). It is interesting to note, however, that in developing countries, the rich overeat and the poor are underfed, but in an industrial country like the United States, the rich are often the ones who are educated, eat right, and exercise while the poor are the ones who eat the fatty, greasy dishes (Overholser). Of course, there are exceptions to these cases, and there seems to be a growing movement to accept the obese. One organization, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, battles the discrimination associated with size, while others are not only declaring they are fat but are also proud of it (Middleton). 8
While it is admirable that people take a stand for what they believe in, it should not be at the cost of one’s own health. The only true way to get an attractive body while maintaining a high health standard is through exercise. Inactivity can be a deadly enemy, and according to one article, healthy people who did not rank high on the fitness scale were just as likely to die as smokers (Beil). Fortunately, it is never too late to get started with a healthier lifestyle.
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This new lifestyle would not be complete without the right diet to accompany it. According to Ambika Wauters, what we eat is a reflection of our inner selves (83). The truth of this statement can be seen just from
Handumon 5 personal experience. When people have a bad day, it is common for some to drown their sorrows by the act of eating, and often, one cannot deny the joy that eating a good meal provides. A healthy meal, however, remains unchallenged in the benefits it can bring about both internally and externally. The internal effects are obvious, but the amount of change it can bring about externally is often surprising. Wauters uses an example of a lady with a severe acne problem. She changed her diet to include fruits and vegetables, and within three months, her complexion was unblemished (85). 10
The benefits of exercise combined with a healthy diet are innumerable. One of the main benefits, however, cannot be seen outwardly. It is confidence. A statement by Roxanna Salas describes the feeling best. “When you’re working out, your spirit toughens up. It strengthens you—if you have to be there and be committed and push on the days you don’t want to push. That’s life—life is about pushing no matter what” (qtd. in Shroder). The benefits of exercise can also be appreciated as it strengthens the immune system and helps prevent diseases. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “being highly or moderately fit helped extend life regardless of whether the volunteers were overweight, had a family history of heart disease, or had other combinations of risk factors” (Beil).
Handumon 6 11
The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are immeasurable, but one should not simply seek to dwell on the beauty it brings to the exterior, for true beauty comes from within. Though it is true that one can be drawn to another simply based on outer appearance, if the beauty within does not match the outer beauty, it is not long before the outer façade looks more mundane as time goes by. Beauty from within, however, has the ability to captivate others and is not quite as fleeting as exterior beauty.
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Of course people may seem beautiful at the moment, but it will not be long before the effects of time play their role and take away the youthful glow, and people won’t be remembered for how they looked, but how they made others feel. That is where beauty from within outlasts outer beauty, and it is precisely this point that should make others focus more on health than concentrating on beauty. People need to take care of their bodies inwardly first, and this will more often than not, show beauty in its purest form that no surgeon’s knife could duplicate, and it will leave a lasting impression.
Handumon 7 Works Cited Beil, Laura. “Better Get Moving.” Dallas Morning News 17 July 1996: 1A+. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998. Middleton, Christopher. “Fat? No, It’s My Genes.” Focus June 1996: 4245. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998. Omelianuk, Scott. “Understanding Male Anorexia.” Swing Oct. 1995: 7881. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998. Overholser, Geneva. “Eating All the Wrong Foods.” Chicago Tribune 15 Mar. 2000: 23. NewsBank. CD-ROM. Chicago Tribune. 2000. Passalacqua, Andrea. “Eating Disorders: Roots Go Deeper Than the Media.” Chicago Tribune 16 Feb. 2000: 8. NewsBank. CD-ROM. Chicago Tribune. 2000. Scheer, Robert. “The Cosmetic Surgery Revolution: A Frenzy of Lifts, Nips and Tucks.” Los Angeles Times 22 Dec. 1991: A1+. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998. Shroder, Lisa. “Macho Macho Femme.” Sun-Sentinel 10 Aug. 1998: 1D+. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998. “Thin Is In, but Not Healthy.” Editorial. Chicago Tribune 1 June 2002: 28. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO HOST. South Suburban College Library, South Holland, IL. 1 July 2002
Handumon 8 . Wauters, Ambika. Inner Radiance, Outer Beauty. California: The Crossing Press, 2001. Wickelgren, Ingrid. “Obesity: How Big a Problem?” Science 29 May 1998: 1364-367. SIRS Researcher Winter 1998. CD-ROM. SIRS, Inc. 1998.
