Ideal Body Image

Just like time, the ideal shape of the human body changes throughout history. The ideal body is the idea of one’s body being of the upmost excellence in the eyes of society. More often than not, the ideal body type pertains more so to cultural concepts than what would be best for the body health wise. From the Victorian Era to New Millennium, the ideal body image has not really changed. However, a difference occurs in the ways in which we choose to maintain it.
The earliest recorded concept of the idea body image was during the early 1800’s also known as the Victorian Era. In this age, thin was the size of choice. The idea of being thin stemmed from individuals being diagnosed with extreme Anorexia. The idea of being sick with anorexia became …show more content…
The documentary Dying to be Thin highlights the dietary dangers dancers, high fashion models, and young women in general must face in order to be successful in their field. The program focuses primarily on young female dancers. Ballerinas, like the women in the Victorian Era, also struggled with anorexia and starvation. Instead of being desired by solely oncoming suitors and their families like in the Victorian age, Ballerinas stayed thin to impress future employers, the public, and the common thread between the two eras, themselves. These women were willing to drop extreme amounts of weight in short periods of time to be seen as elite. In the starting seconds of the documentary the narrator of the project stated, “A ballerina must have more than grace and flawless technique to be successful. She must also be abnormally thin. It is a dangerous obsession for many dancers.” The true horror behind it all is that the dancers don’t mind. Dancer, Katey Tracey proves that statement true by saying, “If they want thin, I will give them thin… I dropped more weight in two weeks than I had ever done in my life.’ Eleena Melamed enjoyed the pain she put herself through anorexia because of its results. She states, “’My Anorexic Year,’… was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I was getting all the good parts for performances at school. I was getting all of the attention. I was not being ignored anymore.” …show more content…
The Atkins Diet is comparable to both Fletcherism and fasting due to its methods and how fast and vastly it spread. The Atkins Diet is a high protein, low carb, and high fat diet that was popular during the 1970’s. The theory was that the excess carbs being consumed by most Americans were the cause of rapid weight gain. The Atkins Diet decided to ultimately eliminate a majority of carbs from ones diet it and replace it with muscle building proteins. The Atkins diets also encourages less processed foods and more of the foods nature intended for you to intake. While originally seen as a dieting cult classic, the Atkins diet became exceeding popular among men and women. Women appreciated the Atkins plan due to their strict portion control. Similar to the “munching parties” in England with Fletcherism, public establishments started accommodating those on the rapidly growing Atkins Diet. Restaurants started accommodating those on the diet by featuring low carb meals for their customers. T.G.I Friday’s even went to the measures of partnering with Atkins to create a special menu solely for those following the plan aiding in its popularity.

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