Many people in today’s society believe that the perception of a woman’s body image is fixed on certain ideals that have influenced the view of a woman’s personal criticism and expectations; however, some counter that the only person putting pressure on women to look a certain way are themselves.

There is no doubt that there is pressure on women concerning their looks, but the source of this pressure is blurred. Association for the Study of Food and Society board directors Donna Maurer and Jeffery Sobal wrote in their book about the societal pressures on women and their body that “women reinforce the thin ideal on themselves through constant self-surveillance of their bodies.” This directs towards the viewpoint that women are the ones putting the pressure on themselves.

Women must have gotten the “thin ideal” from somewhere. Women experience pressure every day about their bodies: When they see other women, commercials, or on social media; women encounter the pressures to catch the new “trends,” and to look fit and healthy. The physical perfection that they convey isn’t all that it seems, with makeup, and hours of working on the appearance.

It is virtually impossible for women to come up with these perspectives of their own body without having seen it from somewhere. As teenagers, their bodies go through change, and in this generation, you either stick to the look that is in, or get ideal criticism. Since appearance is more focused on what is visible, people do not emphasize on personality, or just ideal mental strengths.

As teenagers grow up, they should focus on what their bodies can do, rather than what they cannot. They can and should have a positive outlook.

As you grow older, not having this optimism can lead to depression and/or eating disorders. Studies have shown that 80% of adolescent girls feel fat. This potentially leads to the fear of eating and losing weight rapidly. Having that body image does not matter, it just matters that you take care of it, even if women do not realize it.