NeemsIs Plastic Really Fantastic?
March 4th 2008 11:12
Let’s set the scene. A 21 year old girl decides it is essential she places herself under the mercy of a Botox needle to get rid of a wrinkle that has dared to appear on her forehead. An older, and seemingly more together woman whom this girl looks up to and admires, agrees that Botox is a superb invention designed to temporarily halt the “sin” of getting older. They then proceed to plan their visit whereby they get a great 2-for-1 deal on a wide assortment of procedures.
Perhaps it was because I have only read about women like this, but to actually sit in on a dangerously misguided conversation set my mind reeling. I wondered if I am now part of a shrinking minority of women who are trying hard to happily accept the changes our bodies are designed to go through as we age.
We place such importance upon external beauty when that’s the one thing that is made to fade in time. We know that no amount of plastic surgery will let you fully mask the signs of ageing without the risk of making you look like a creepy plastic puppet gone wrong. So when did we stop looking to further ourselves on a deeper level and instead obsess about our fleeting youth?
No one is a stranger to the various body-image problems we face due to the expectations of society, media and fashion. This topic is forever in discussion and we are aware of the issues we need to tackle. But have we stopped to wonder about the true danger that lies within the people we surround ourselves with? Our Mothers, Fathers, relatives, boyfriends, friends, acquaintances and even strangers? From the time we are born, we are inundated with not only messages screaming at us from the media, but from the very people we rely on to keep us nurtured. A mother constantly criticizing and focusing on her own flaws may be enough to instil in her child a negative body image and a false perception of what’s important in life.
It’s no secret that children are growing up at a frighteningly fast rate. By the time they are old enough to talk, they start talking back. Questioning what clothes makes their rear ends look big is alarmingly becoming more and more common. The window of time parents have to instil a healthy way of thinking into vulnerable children is slowly shrinking as kids join the race to adulthood.
Perhaps it's not just our words that are the real danger. Children may not always be listening to what we say, but they are certainly always watching us. So as we grimace when clutching our bulges in front of the mirror, this unintentional act just may sit deeper in their psyches then we know.
It’s no easy task to constantly monitor what we consider casual conversation. But perhaps by paying closer attention to our children as soon as they are old enough to make out blurred images on TV, we have more of a chance to divert their attention to concentrating on other, more positive aspects of life. And it must start with the way we see ourselves. If we love who we are and what we look like, this message will be passed on to our children and those around us.
It comes as no surprise the young lady mentioned at the start of this article has a mother on a perpetual diet of lettuce leaves and who is obsessed with maintaining her size 6 figure. So what hope did this 21 year old have of escaping such a distorted view of her own body when her mother places vanity above everything else?
We need to positively work on ourselves to reduce those subliminal negative messages we send to our kids. We’re up against a myriad of powerful influences that we come into contact with everyday and it’s never been more imperative we genuinely try to overcome them.
Naomi Wolf, author of “The Beauty Myth”, wrote that we women have come so far in terms of showing the world what we are capable of professionally, yet the person we see in the mirror, forever holds us back in truly achieving everything we are capable of.
Is it that unattainable a dream to hope that one day it will be much easier to let go of our youth? I'd like to remain positive on this one and believe that one day, we can.
Neema Mohan, March 4th, 2008- ©
Perhaps it was because I have only read about women like this, but to actually sit in on a dangerously misguided conversation set my mind reeling. I wondered if I am now part of a shrinking minority of women who are trying hard to happily accept the changes our bodies are designed to go through as we age.
We place such importance upon external beauty when that’s the one thing that is made to fade in time. We know that no amount of plastic surgery will let you fully mask the signs of ageing without the risk of making you look like a creepy plastic puppet gone wrong. So when did we stop looking to further ourselves on a deeper level and instead obsess about our fleeting youth?
No one is a stranger to the various body-image problems we face due to the expectations of society, media and fashion. This topic is forever in discussion and we are aware of the issues we need to tackle. But have we stopped to wonder about the true danger that lies within the people we surround ourselves with? Our Mothers, Fathers, relatives, boyfriends, friends, acquaintances and even strangers? From the time we are born, we are inundated with not only messages screaming at us from the media, but from the very people we rely on to keep us nurtured. A mother constantly criticizing and focusing on her own flaws may be enough to instil in her child a negative body image and a false perception of what’s important in life.
It’s no secret that children are growing up at a frighteningly fast rate. By the time they are old enough to talk, they start talking back. Questioning what clothes makes their rear ends look big is alarmingly becoming more and more common. The window of time parents have to instil a healthy way of thinking into vulnerable children is slowly shrinking as kids join the race to adulthood.
Perhaps it's not just our words that are the real danger. Children may not always be listening to what we say, but they are certainly always watching us. So as we grimace when clutching our bulges in front of the mirror, this unintentional act just may sit deeper in their psyches then we know.
It’s no easy task to constantly monitor what we consider casual conversation. But perhaps by paying closer attention to our children as soon as they are old enough to make out blurred images on TV, we have more of a chance to divert their attention to concentrating on other, more positive aspects of life. And it must start with the way we see ourselves. If we love who we are and what we look like, this message will be passed on to our children and those around us.
It comes as no surprise the young lady mentioned at the start of this article has a mother on a perpetual diet of lettuce leaves and who is obsessed with maintaining her size 6 figure. So what hope did this 21 year old have of escaping such a distorted view of her own body when her mother places vanity above everything else?
We need to positively work on ourselves to reduce those subliminal negative messages we send to our kids. We’re up against a myriad of powerful influences that we come into contact with everyday and it’s never been more imperative we genuinely try to overcome them.
Naomi Wolf, author of “The Beauty Myth”, wrote that we women have come so far in terms of showing the world what we are capable of professionally, yet the person we see in the mirror, forever holds us back in truly achieving everything we are capable of.
Is it that unattainable a dream to hope that one day it will be much easier to let go of our youth? I'd like to remain positive on this one and believe that one day, we can.
Neema Mohan, March 4th, 2008- ©
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