Pursuance of Perfection Essay -- Body Image

In recent years, dedication has been paid to the study of body image and how it affects the person. These studies have shown that body image issues are increasing and present a danger to the health of members of our society. â€Å"This is obvious in distortion of body size (e.g. many young women who experience anorexia nervosa believe they are much heavier than they really are), and in cases of ‘phantom limb’ phenomena (in which people who have had limbs amputated report still ‘feeling’ the missing limb)† (Grogan 15). These issues arise within a person from various factors at an early age from being bullied and degraded about a defect or an abnormality in appearance; many individuals affected tend not to have an outlet other than the media, through which they obtain information on what is acceptable in society. â€Å"Unfortunately, looking at others usually doesn’t help, because they seem to look so much better, and this just reinforces her f eelings of defectiveness† (Wilhelm 13). The time has come for us to deviate from these methods of self-comfort and entertainment because they inhibit our personal development and affects our psyche. We in the Physical Education field have an obligation to provide those that are willing, an outlet, where they find self-comfort and entertainment through rigorous and demanding activities: through which the deviation process can be accomplished through careful implementation and planning. The want to obtain the perfect body image is a phenomenon created through the perceptions one has for things and the self and through social factors-such as friend family and the media; body image, being defined as â€Å"a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body† (Grogan 14). The problem in pursuin... ...r Liput, and Rashmeen Nirmal. "Personality Preferences Of College Student-Athletes." College Student Journal 41.1 (2007): 34-36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. Rabinor, Judith Ruskay. "The Therapist's Voice." Eating Disorders 7.2 (1999): 157-67. Print. Grogan, Sarah. Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children. London: Routledge, 1999. Print. McCabe, Marita P., Lina A. Ricciardelli, and Damien Ridge. "â€Å"Who Thinks I Need a Perfect Body?† Perceptions and Internal Dialogue among Adolescents about Their Bodies."Sex Roles 55.5/6 (2006): 409-19. EBSCOhost. Springer Science + Business Media, Inc., 21 Nov. 2006. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. Brown, Gavin, and Paul Potrac. "You've Not Made the Grade, Son': De-selection and Identity Disruption in Elite Level Youth Football." Soccer & Society 10.2 (2009): 143-59. Print.