Today’s society has collectively created a “perfect image” for women which negatively affects their opinions and treatment of their bodies.

Flipping through October’s issue of Glamour magazine, several things stand out in particular. Every woman in the magazine is flawless. Literally. They are all stunning, each stamped with perfection.

Their makeup is spotless, hair primped and polished, and not a hint of cellulite can be seen

on their long, lean figures.

Perfect. This seems to be a reccurring theme for teenage girls in today’s society.

But what really is perfect?

In every magazine, T.V. commercial or computer ad, women are portrayed as paper- thin supermodels with unblemished skin. Seeing these women who are supposed to be beautiful puts pressure on teenage girls. Society has collectively come up with this idea of an ideal image for women. When in reality, this image is unhealthy and unrealistic.

The perfect body image is portrayed throughout all of media today.

Entertainment news magazines are infamous for bashing celebrities and pointing out their flaws. A Star Magazine on the grocery store rack screamed skinny headlines at shoppers. The cover read “70 Best and Worst Summer Beach Bodies.” It had candid pictures of celebrities in swimsuits with blurred out faces over a “who’s that” caption.

Pointing out flaws in stars’ bodies makes anything that isn’t thin, ugly. These magazines making fun of celebrities without slim figures lead the readers to believe that only skinny is beautiful. Anything other than slim is insulted and highlighted on the cover of national magazines.

Society is obsessed with being skinny. Every other commercial on cable is about dropping the pounds. Weight loss companies such as Zumba, Slim Fast and P90X are advertised constantly. The spokesmen for these commercials are toned, tan and well, perfect. Once again, it degrades body image making nothing but skinny acceptable.

Girl’s obsessing over body image are portrayed in movies as well. 2005’s Mean Girls is one of the most quoted and most loved chick-flick movies ever. Although it is a classic among teenage girls, the movie portrays high school girls in a dim light.

In the movie, the girls are constantly obsessing over their body images. At one point, the four girls stand in a mirror and pick out their flaws. At lunch, they count calories and have certain rules about what to wear on what days. Although the movie is humorous, it shows teenage girls obsessing over being skinny and supports the idea of society’s perfect image.

Seeing how women are portrayed in media causes many girls to become obsessive with their body images, just like the girls in the movie. Many girls often take these obsessions to extremes. According to the South Carolina Department of Health, seven million women in the U.S. have an eating disorder. Bulimia, anorexia and binge eating are common disorders among many teenage girls. Many girls feel that being thin will make them beautiful, no matter the cost. Girls will do serious harm to their bodies in hopes of being thin.

“We are surrounded by a society that preaches ‘skinny is the only way’ and if you don’t fit into a certain mold then you aren’t good enough,” junior Ali Campbell said. A high self esteem is one of the most difficult, yet important, characteristics a girl can have especially throughout her teenage years. It is important for young girls to remember they are all beautiful in their own way. The REbeL program, recently started at Sion, is a group that focuses on showing girls their self worth and individual beauty.

“REbeL helps girls in today’s society by reminding them of all of the amazing things every girl has to give to the world,” Campbell said.

Campbell is a member of the REbeL program along with 25 other girls from various grades. It is a great way for young girls to feel empowered. REbeL

teaches girls to not only tell themselves they are beautiful, but truly believe it. It teaches girls to accept and love their bodies as they are.

Yes, being a teenage girl in today’s society is full of pressure. Skinny has been recently graded as the definition of beauty. Although these “ideal” women portrayed by society today may appear stunning, their body images are unhealthy and not something girls should model.

It’s important for teenage girls to remember that everyone is different. Every woman is a different size and shape. That’s what makes us who we are. Beauty comes from within and every woman deserves to know they’re beautiful.

Get involved with REbeL or a similar program. It’s a great way to bond with other girls who are pressured in the same way. Programs like REbeL help girls build self confidence and become

comfortable with who they are.

Everyone is going to have his or her opinion no

matter what you wear or what size your waistline is. Women should live to please themselves, not those around them.

Counting calories and skipping meals is no way to live. Sure, it’s good to be healthy and watch what you eat. But obsessing over your image and dieting to extremes is harmful to both mind and body.

Be comfortable with who you are and know that different is beautiful.

Marilyn Monroe once said, “To all the girls who think they’re ugly because you’re not a size zero, you’re the beautiful one. It’s society who’s ugly.”