For the longest time, women have not been treated as equals to men. It is unfortunate, but that is just how things are. We have taken many steps forward, but no matter how true that may be, the fact is that we haven’t taken enough steps forward. Women are not only unequal and treated often as inferiors, but we tend to have a lot of unrealistic expectations placed upon us.
Women are expected to do and be a lot of things, but one huge expectation that we must undergo is the weight expectation. Ever since I was a kid, I have thought that if I want to be pretty in any way, I must be bone-thin. That is so unhealthy and sad that girls at such young ages feel this way. The truth is that it doesn’t stop either. As we get older the pressure actually gets worse.
It is pressure being placed from a lot of areas of the world that we must be skinny to be beautiful. Pressure comes from social media and popular culture. Women on social media are constantly showing off their tiny waistlines, or we can always scroll and see an ad for some sort of fit tea. Our favorite celebrities promote crazy weight-loss supplements and workout programs.
Next, we have pressure from men. If a straight woman wants to be appealing to the opposite sex, she better be skinny. It is increasingly frustrating for me, and I am sure for many other women as well, because that is not exactly the best feeling. It is as if you may never find someone unless you can find a way to be perfectly ideal.
There is a point where yes, we know a healthy weight is good, but there is also a point where it gets a little ridiculous. Girls that I knew in high school were starving themselves or binging and purging to be skinny. That is an incredibly dangerous and unhealthy way to get the results desired by the rest of the world. Even the skinniest of girls can still find themselves to be “fat” for some reason.
Younger girls are feeling this way and it is not getting better. If anything, it is getting worse.
We just elected Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States. Trump tends to say a lot of sexist things about women, and there is proof of that, including remarks calling a woman a “pig.” That does not exactly set a good example for the rest of America.
We have a lot of room to grow so that these expectations are not pushed on women, and we need to grow soon. America needs to fix a lot of things and this is one of the issues that needs to get better. It might be a little difficult as it stands, but something needs to change.
Elyse Kuhn is a staff writer for the Bona Venture. Her email is kuhnee16@bonaventure.edu
