Pereira is one of the many teenagers that posts pictures on instagram. 

“I know some people end up deleting their posts because they don’t “reach people’s standards” or because their other things have had more.” senior Andrea Pereira said.

According to a study done by Brown University on females and males in college, 74.4 percent of females and 46 percent of men said that they think about how they look or their weight.

Body image is thought to be defined as how you see yourself every day in the mirror and how you picture yourself in your mind.

However, body image also involves how a person feels about their body which includes their weight and shape.

In today’s society, our world has different perspective on how a person’s body should look. For example, the definition of a “perfect body” in women is frequently portrayed as skinny. A “perfect body” for men is usually defined by having big muscles and a six pack.                                    

“I read  read in magazines about how today being skinny and thin is considered healthy and beautiful,”sophomore Marilin Guzman said.

Today, teenagers tend to worry more about their weight from a very early age according to WebMD, and they become more insecure about their body and themselves.

“I have always complained about my weight because most of my friends are skinny and when I see myself in the mirror I get depressed,” Guzman said.

Having an obsession with your own body can lead a person to develop a negative body image, where the person starts disliking his/her body and does not feel comfortable and maybe even ashamed of how they look.

Also, it can affect someone’s self esteem and make then question their own self worth.

A negative body can be caused by different factors. One of them is social media. According to BBC News Health page, “social media such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can affect the way a person thinks about their image.”

Teenagers are constantly influenced by what they see or read and seeing negative or different comments can affect their body image.

“I think it is important to exude confidence regardless of my body that being said, I think it is always better to aim to be healthier,” senior Diva Chowdhary said.

A study by Pediatrics revealed that about two thirds of girls in fifth and 12th grade said that they are influenced by magazines and what they said is the ideal body.

For example, a girl posts a photo of herself on Instagram, then random people start judging how she looks.

Once that person has the doubt, they start comparing themselves to the rest of their peers or to celebrities and they will see that they are not the same.

Another factor that causes teens to develop a negative image of themselves is what they see in television or beauty magazines. Different magazines today and TV programs shows how a female or male should look like and what they think is “perfect.”

Negative body images in teens can lead to eating disorders. Eating disorders are physiological disorders that affect a person’s eating behavior and can be found in both males and females.

HOW BODY IMAGE

AFFECTS FEMALES

According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, about 86 percent of girls have eating disorders caused by body image between ages 16 and 23. 

Having a  negative body image about oneself can cause depression.

Depression rates increase among teenagers as they hit adolecence. Depression caused by body image is harder for women to overcome.

Girls are the most affected by a negative body image because they are easy targets and they are easier to persuade about how they look, according to WebMD.

Low self esteem is a problem that most girls find themselves in when it comes on how they look.

A recent survey by the  Dove Self-Esteem Project showed that 47 percent of girls between ages 11 and 14 lack confidence with their bodies in the U.S. and many other countries worldwide.

HOW BODY IMAGE

AFFECTS MALES

According to The Atlantic Newspaper, a study by JAMA Pediatrics revealed that about 18 percent of boys are concerned about their weight and how they look.

Anorexia nervosa is disorder in which a person refuses to maintain a normal body weight.

There are many characteristics that contribute to anorexia nervosa such as being obsessed with body building, building bigger muscles and excessive exercise.

Boys with body image issues are most likely to turn to drugs or pills that help them lose weight.

According to a Harvard School of Public Health study, boys obsessed with their weight turn to risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol and drug use. Males also turn to steroids that alter the body by enhancing muscles.

Wanting to look like someone you are not or trying to please your peers’ standards of beauty can have a long-lasting effect not only physically, but emotionally as well.

Learning how to accept what you have and loving your body for how it looks can make someone feel beautiful.

TIPS ON HOW TO

LOVE YOUR BODY

Surround yourself with family and friends that have only positive thoughts and are willing to encourage you to stay healthy.

Never compare your body with someone’s else. Always tell yourself that your body is beautiful not just from the outside but also from the inside.