I am a teenage girl who is preoccupied with my weight and how I look. It’s
unfortunate that we live in a time where that is mundane, clichéd and even
expected. The issue of body image is one that transcends race and culture to
become a worldwide phenomenon. Though experienced by both sexes, one only
needs to watch television commercials or through the pages of a magazine to see
the “unreal images of female attractiveness in the media.” (Cussins 105-114)
This is a phenomenon that makes young adults such as myself- diet, count
calories, and find endless flaws in their appearance. As one author puts it this is
leading to a ‘culture of narcissism’ (Cussins 105-114) where teenagers put
physical appearances above personal development and growth. This essay will
focus on my own struggles with body image growing up in the culture that I did.
My story begins from childhood growing up in the tiny country of Bhutan- a
country that is touted for its peaceful and happy way of life. An article in the
‘Telegraph’ shows me that Bhutan ranked 173rd on its list of 177 of “the world’s
fattest countries” and that the average person weighs only 112 pounds. The
other end of the graph shows the United States in 3rd place with an average
weight of 180 pounds. These two figures alone are enough to make what I think
is the central point of my long-winded essay; and that is that the pressure to look
good is found everywhere but some places punish you more severely if you
don’t.
Bhutan’s low average weight can be easily explained seeing that we are a
developing nation with 23% of its people living below the poverty line. More
than half of the people are still living in rural areas and depend on agriculture for
their livelihood. The low average weight is seen in other parts of Asia, which
contains 61% of the world’s people but only 13% of the worlds weight. As a
country, we don’t have fast food chains or 24-hour grocery stores. One would
think that it would be easier to stay thin in such a country right? Wrong! The
Bhutanese diet consists of rice, beef, chilies and cheese, which is often prepared
in a simple and hearty manner. We even drink a tea that includes copious
amounts of butter and salt. While this may have been necessary in a time when
most of the people were yak herder or farmers, the diet still hasn’t changed
much for modern day business people and office workers. Surveys show that
8.6% of the urban population is obese and 30.5% are overweight.
There is societal pressure here to look a certain way but as I have mentioned,
this is present in all cultures and countries. I feel that the decision of how much
you want this pressure to affect your life and how you live it should be up to the
individual in question. Unfortunately, I see that in Bhutan and some other
cultures- this is not the case. This may be because we are a collectivist culture
where there is a greater emphasis placed in being part of the group and sticking
together. There is also a lot of respect given towards elderly people and what
they have to say. These factors make it difficult to be deviated from the norm.
Appearances and weight play a great role in a person’s life when living in a
culture that can be unforgiving to those that stray from what is considered to be
the ideal Bhutanese society is said to be matriarchal but there are still greater
expectations for women to be thin and graceful, presumably in order to get a
husband.
As a heavier person, I have never been close to the ideal and this was never a
problem but the same cannot be said for the people around me. Friends, family
and even people I barely knew would comment on my weight and give me
‘helpful’ advice and suggestions. I often felt as though I was imposing my fatness
on them. Many seemed to make it their personal mission to badger me until I
saw things from their point of view. In this culture, commenting on the
appearances of those around you is not considered to be rude but defending
yourself certainly is. As a younger child I always resented my parents for
standing by idly when people made snide comments about my weight. I didn’t
realize that as rude as it would have been for me to speak back to an elder, it
would have been even ruder for my parents to speak up for me. This would make
them seem overly sensitive and prideful. As we all know, such behavior would
cause a rift in the very fabric of our society and people.
To those who find such behavior shocking and unacceptable, I must explain that
these types of comments are often borne from very good intentions and genuine
concern. Yet the lines between one and the other are very blurred when you
constantly hear a barrage of such comments from everyone from your
grandmother to your grocer. Besides this, the pressure to look a certain way also
comes from a spreading of the ‘western body image ideal.’ (Younger 45-56)
This may not hold true for the Bhutanese cities that have been swept over by the
‘Korean wave’ with most of the youth becoming consumed by their music,
movies and pop idols. I don’t mean to imply that this is the case for everyone but
it is interesting to note that the pressure to look good is even higher in South
Korea- a country becoming infamous for the highest rates of plastic surgery in
the world. A 2009 survey showed that 1 in 5 women in Seoul have some kind of
cosmetic procedure. The actors and actresses of such movies are very thin and
fashionable, which many of the impressionable Bhutanese youth aspire towards.
As the world is becoming globalized the media is playing a huge role in
homogenizing desirable features to a widespread idea of what is considered
beautiful. This is seen in the Bhutanese media where the actresses are becoming
thinner and their clothes tighter. The actors on the other hand are middle aged
and plump, sending out the potentially harmful message that we as a society are
accepting of certain flaws in our men but expect a much higher standard from
the women. The pressures to look good are seen now more than ever as the
people of urban Bhutan are becoming more health conscious and traditional
meals are being replaced with vegetables and healthier substitutes. Crops of
gyms and fitness centers are popping up all over the cities and becoming a
personal trainer or body builder is now a viable career. As I go for an evening jog
on a nearby mountain path and see the crowds of others who had the same idea I
can’t help but think of a herd of sheep that run towards a society-imposed goal.
At this point, many may think that I am being overly harsh towards an emerging
culture of health and fitness. That is not the case as I feel that losing/ gaining
weight and looking good should be done for the benefit of that person alone, so
that they can feel good about themselves. I say this because I often feel that I
want to lose weight for the satisfaction of others and wish that this were not the
case. As one author puts it, women diet because we have been ‘ideologically
duped by an oppressive set of beauty ideals.’ (Heyes 126-149)
Women are said to want to be thin because we are told that this will make us
more sexually desirable, aesthetically pleasing and able to build an image that is
‘appropriately feminine.’ This may hold true for most places but to talk about
some cultures being more accepting of deviations to the norm; an article online
tells me that it may be more acceptable to be overweight in America today as the
average person weighs 20 pounds more than the person 20 years ago. Though I
love being back home and with my family, being in college abroad has provided a
welcome reprise from the snide comments and constant judgment.
In conclusion, it is unlikely that ‘thin, waif-like models’ (Cussins 105-114) and
celebrities are going to stop being portrayed in the media. Society has deemed
that this is an attractive ideal and it is hard to change strongly held beliefs,
overnight. This does not mean that people should stop talking or writing about
issues of body image and weight. Without discussion and criticism there will be
no need for change and progress. So, even though I feel satisfaction from getting
on my scale or scrutinizing myself in nearby reflecting surfaces; this satisfaction
will be nothing compared to the day I can throw away the scale and be happy
with the person I see in the mirror.
“I have abided by the Wheaton Honor Code in this work.”
Works cited
1. Cussins, Anne. "The Role of Body Image in Women's Mental
Health." Feminist Review. No. 68 (2001): 105-114. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
<http://0-www.jstor.org.helin.uri.edu/stable/1395747>.
2.
Harper, Conrad. "The World's Fattest Countries: How Do You
Compare?" The Telegraph. The Telegraph, 21 Jun 2012. Web. 1 Dec 2013.
3.
Heyes, Cressida. "Foucault Goes to Weight Watchers."Hypatia. 21.2
(2006):126-149.Web.8Dec.2013.
<http://0www.jstor.org.helin.uri.edu/stable/3810995>.
4.
Pelden, Sonam. "Bhutanese Are Becoming Fat and Unfit."Kuensel Online.
Kuensel, 26 Mar 2013. Web. 3 Dec 2013.
5.
"Rural Poverty in Bhutan." IFAD. N.p.. Web. 8 Dec 2013.
<http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/bhutan>.
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Shy, Leta. "Is Being Overweight More Acceptable Today?." FitSugar. N.p.,
28 Nov 2011. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://www.fitsugar.com/AverageWeight-Americans-20-Pounds-Heavier-Than-20-Years-Ago-20605443>.
7.
Willett, Megan. "Korea's Plastic Surgery Obsession Is A Glimpse Into The
Future." Business Insider. N.p., 06 Jun 2013. Web. 8 Dec 2013.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/korea-is-obsessed-with-plasticsurgery-2013-5>.
8.
Younger, Beth. "Pleasure, Pain, and the Power of Being Thin: Female
Sexuality in Young Adult Literature."NWSA Journal. 15.2 (2003): 45-56.
Web.8Dec.2013. <http://0-www.jstor.org.helin.uri.edu/stable/4316970>.