Better than a model

Beauty standards have been laid down since media and technology’s domination of humankind. Every era has its own. While in the past, voluptuous women were considered the standard image of beauty, present-day society has its own concept of ideal physical features: Skinny models have set the bar.

Society dictates definite and uniform standards of beauty. And these have become harder to attain, especially for women who are inundated with images of the ideal figure. As these idealized images are constantly exposed online, on TV and billboards, and in newspapers and magazines, young women now see more images of exceptionally beautiful women in one day than our mothers saw in their teenage years. For instance, beauty-pageant contestants and top models with slim figures are seen to depict a beautiful figure. They make outstandingly good looks seem so normal and attainable that anything that comes short is unacceptable and ugly. Thus, many, especially young women, learn to look at and treat their figure according to society’s standards.

I was a transferee student in high school, and almost everyone in my batch was conscious of their appearance. I heard endless rants about their weight and body mass when, in the back of my mind, I thought they looked thin and fine. I had never seen people so concerned about their weight, such that they felt compelled to go on unusual diets. I asked them: “Why diet?” Their reply: “Prom.”

The prom was where students dressed as dazzling princesses and showed off their elegance for a night. Many viewed it as a flamboyant event that took years to prepare for. But I, unmindful of my weight, ate whatever I could during their season of preparation.

The preparation was when “promposals” happened, when people were asked for a date, and when gowns were made and fitted. During that time, I witnessed a horrid practice in which most students engaged: improper dieting.

The most common was the water diet. From what I heard, they drank water all day to suffice for food. Sometimes there were cheat days, but they ate only a pack of Skyflakes when they couldn’t stand the hunger anymore. Most everyone I knew followed the fad and did not eat at all—an effect, I think, of peer pressure.

I was also influenced by peer pressure. But I tried the water diet only for a week, while the others survived on it for months. I tried it when I wasn’t in training in school so it wouldn’t be too difficult for my body to handle. Yet I found it challenging to cope with the class lectures: I couldn’t focus, I felt extremely weary and fearful that anytime I could collapse. This was in fact possible: I saw many of my classmates faint and rushed in wheelchairs to the infirmary.

I became worried, so I put a stop to it. I went back to training and to my routine, which meant consuming the right amount of food, along with constant exercise. Getting back on track made me feel so much better.

I admit it was a terrible mistake to jump on the bandwagon. I was aware of the trend, but I was not compelled to follow it. Drinking lots of water was good for the body, but omitting food was a blunder. It was an easy way to lose weight, but it also damaged my health and my performance in school.

I think that with technology, we get used to doing things fast and easy without recognizing the negative effects on us. I think doing things the old-fashioned way is better.

Working hard is something young people are missing out on. Going on an insane diet is not the only way to be thin because exercise is available to all. Exercise is a better remedy: Not only does it make us fit, it keeps us healthy as well. It’s a long-term way, but the results are priceless. Going against the dieting trend and working hard for health will make us feel great about ourselves regardless of what others may think.

Most of us are aware of society’s obsession with beauty. But to have what we actually want, we should reject current standards and decide on our own what beauty really is. Being skinny doesn’t make us beautiful; copying other people’s image just makes us ordinary.

We should break away from society’s expectations. After all, who is it to dictate who’s beautiful and who’s not? The only place we’ll find beauty is within ourselves. All of us have flaws, yet being ourselves makes us unique and makes our beauty a standout.

Christiana R. Tan, 17, is in her first year in European studies at Ateneo de Manila University.