Tony Little as a young bodybuilder in St. Petersburg. Tampa Bay Times (2011)
As we have advanced as a society, we have figured out practical, innovative ways for people to modify their appearances at rates never seen before.
Experts have developed workout routines and diets that allow people to lose or gain weight or attain more muscle definition at remarkably fast rates.
Plastic surgeons have also created ways to change even the smallest details about our bodies, from the size of our lips to the distance between our eyes and eyebrows.
Many people who can afford it have taken advantage of these advances that allow us to change almost anything about ourselves. Countless Hollywood figures have been known to indulge in cosmetic surgery; legendary singer Cher, for example, has notoriously altered her body and face over the course of her career.
As humans, it is natural for us to pick apart our appearances and have insecurities regarding the way we look. This is a theme that has been relevant to humans since the beginning of time. Our physical bodies are what others perceive of us, so it’s only natural that we’d like to feel as though we look good.
However, with all of these ways to change our appearances available to us, could they be only adding to toxic and excessive body image standards that already plague our society?
Alterations one can make to their body also extend further than facial appearance; famous athletes, such as Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, have been known to take steroids that enhance their athletic abilities and increase the size of their muscles.
Johnson, who was labeled the fastest man on Earth after winning the 100-meter final at the 1988 Summer Olympics, was shortly after disqualified after it was discovered that he used prohibited performance-enhancing drugs to boost his sprinting ability during the race.
Performance-enhancing steroids have also proven to come with their own set of health issues, particularly in the men who use them. Many male users suffer with erectile dysfunction and even a decrease in sperm count, according to an article by Health Match.
Cosmetic procedures have also caused their fair share of problems for those who indulge in them. Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace is just one example of a celebrity who has been notorious for having a lot of work done on her face, resulting in the well-known “pillow face” phenomenon.
“Pillow face” occurs when an individual receives an excess amount of filler into one’s face, leading to a puffy, pillowy appearance, hence the name.
Is the risk of losing out on a gold medal or having a permanently morphed face really worth feeling successful or beautiful?
I believe this trend of changing every minute detail about one’s outer appearance can have an effect similar to using drugs: many people don’t know how or when to stop and be content with the way they look.
When we use and rely on tangible things to make us happy instead of living in the moment, we end up chasing our own tail in a way. There will always be more cosmetic procedures one can get, so when does it end? When is it finally enough?
It’s almost counterintuitive to say that body image standards have gotten worse, as “body positivity” is in full swing in today’s society, but I don’t know that it has overpowered our irascible urge as a human race to be perceived as “perfect.”
I do believe that body image standards for both men and women were, to some degree, less pervasive, even thirty years ago.
Now, this is not to say that they have not always been bad, because they undoubtedly have; however, with how widespread media has become, the ideal “perfect” body is being shoved in our faces more than ever.
Male models with perfect chiseled abs and large biceps make men feel they have to look this way. Likewise, women are taught to feel that they need to have an hourglass figure in order to be perceived as desirable.
Essentially, if you are not naturally born looking a certain way, you must either work out or get surgery in order to look that way.
Between toxic fitness culture and cosmetic procedures, society has opened up a new can of worms for people with body insecurities. Instead of helping individuals feel more comfortable in their own skin, these trends have proven to be addicting and cause cycles that are hard to break and have detrimental consequences.