Female Body Image and Self-Perception

Book excerpt: Societal norms have placed large burdens on how women perceive themselves, and how they want others to perceive them. This has led to some distressing statistics, with up to 10 percent of college-aged women in the United States suffering from an eating disorder. While individual women can focus on cultivating a healthy body image, it is important for young women to analyze how the media and others encourage unhealthy perceptions of what women's bodies are supposed to look like. A glossary, a "For More Information" section, and additional avenues of research are provided to guide readers to better understand the importance of a healthy female body image.