A tall, skinny beautiful model is plastered on a page of a fashion magazine. Why don’t women think ‘She has awesome legs!’ instead of, “Why can’t my legs be that long, that skinny, that tan?” Just moments before our eyes even noticed this “perfect” model, we were feeling happy and pretty. Yet as soon as we see this “Flawless” model— our colorful eyes glancing at the picture once again— we’re feeling depressed and ugly.
What drives women to want to look thin? Why don’t a majority of women and young girls want to look healthy-looking and fit? In today’s society women (especially) have been programmed and sugar-coated by the media that the only way to be popular, successful, and happy is to be thin. This has caused roughly around 78% of young girls, ages from 14-17, to admit that they believe they are ugly! This four letter word has caused millions of girls to develop eating disorders.

The average American woman is a size fourteen. If this is true, then why aren’t there size fourteen models out there posing for magazines. There might be a few, but not many. Huh, it seems as if fashion magazines are trying to lower our self esteem. Do we all really want to look like colorful skeletons?

A little device that has changed so many opinions is Photoshop. Visibly actresses and models look perfect unblemished on the covers of magazines. But I don’t think that’s how they really look, am I right? Do all celebrities have perfect, acne-free skin? No. Whatever flaw is presented on their picture, it can be smoothed out and altered by Photoshop.

Marilyn Monroe once said: Imperfection is beauty. So, why shouldn’t women today embrace their beautiful flaws and accept themselves. We only get to live once and why waste so much of our precious time wanting to look like someone else, or wanting what someone else has. Sure I may sound hypercritical. But at times I have low self-esteem compared—so low I call it “Rock Bottom”.

So instead of scrutinizing every little flaw we may obtain, when we open that fashion magazine up again. Let’s smile and be thankful that we even have those short legs or those freckly arms.