The issue of body image has multiple views across the globe. In Rwanda, body image is given a different approach than here in the U.S. For example, “In rural Rwanda if you are fat it’s a sign of wealth, health, and being physically strong,” Hasubizimana said. “Most men like their women dark skinned, with an attractive body shape (apple bottom butt), with a skinnier upper body.” In the United States, perception of body image is the complete opposite than it is Rwanda. For example, a former Victoria’s Secret model, Frederique van der Wal, states "This unnatural thinness is a terrible message to send out. The people watching the fashion shows are young, impressionable women." This supports the idea of how body image has multiple views across the globe. A professor of psychology at Kenyon College argues that “The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies, and body dissatisfaction can lead girls to participate in very unhealthy behaviors to try to control weight.” Girls from all over the globe put their lives at risk to try to fulfill the idea of being “beautiful”. Some examples would be footbinding in China, scars received by young Karo girls, and having long necks in Thailand. In summary, there are many views on what beauty is around the world, but these views are influenced and enforced socially.
Across the globe there are many people that believe the perception of body image is a major concern. The article Models Warp Girls’ Body Image states that “Experts call these behaviors disordered eating, a broad term used to describe a range of eating problems, from frequent dieting to anorexia nervosa (which is self-starvation, low weight and fear of being fat) to bulimia nervosa (the binge-and-purge disorder)” This is interesting because many women and young girls are putting their lives in danger just to be accepted in modern society. Psychologist Sharon Lamb states “Girls today, even very young ones, are being bombarded with the message that they need to be super-skinny to be sexy” This supports the idea of how media is making a negative impact on young girls and women around the globe. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are very serious diseases that bring concern worldwide because of how often it affects our youth. Statistics about eating disorders say that, “Eating Disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide.” These numbers will only get bigger as the popularity of the media increases.
Males also suffer from negative body image on a global scale. According to Man in the Mirror, "...in a recent presentation to the Anthology Australia Forum, researchers from the Universities of Sydney and Southern California suggested men are now on par with women in harbouring dissatisfaction with their bodies, citing statistics that show 90 percent of male undergraduates surveyed worldwide dislike their body in some way.” In other words, males also find things in their image that they wish to change almost as often as females. This phenomenon happens often in the male population globally. Just like in cases with females, Eating disorders and the perception of body image not only affect women all over the world, it also affects males. “Men constitute 40% of those exhibiting Binge Eating Disorder.” Men who suffer from this eating disorder is almost the same amount as women, almost half. People think that eating disorders only happen among females, but an estimated 10 to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male. According to researchers from the Universities of Sydney and Southern California, "...men are now on par with women in harbouring dissatisfaction with their bodies, citing statistics that show 90 percent of male undergraduates surveyed these problems begin with boys at very young ages." The article Men in the mirror states that boys as young as six display a strong preference for a mesomorphic body type. The importance of this is that boys start to be concerned with their bodies before their bodies are even fully developed. Concerns about body image are as common among men as it is among women.