by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: July 24, 2009

There seems to be an obsession about weight in the media with conflicting stories and images presented to us every day. On the one hand we are told that obesity is an 'epidemic' which is damaging the economy and undermining the health system as more people develop obesity-related illnesses. On the other hand weight we are shown pictures of ultra-skinny celebrities who either represent the height of glamour and success or who are regarded as skeletal and setting a bad example for young girls. Yet when a celebrity has the audacity to put on weight they are suddenly vilified for 'letting themselves go'. Teenagers are at an impressionable age and are generally driven by the desire to conform, and so it is hardly surprising that they can become fixated on their weight when everyone else is so concerned about the issue of weight.

Most teenage girls aspire to be ultra-slim. There are a few who enjoy sports and want to possess an athletic physique, but for many a skinny body is the ideal. Magazines targeted at teenage girls and women are crammed with pictures of slim celebrities who they proclaim have the most desirable bodies. They may throw in the occasional token 'curvy' woman, but in reality thinness is celebrated, which is exactly what teenagers pick up on. Women who have a little bit more meat on them are praised for a moment or two, but they can't let themselves get too fat, otherwise an unflattering picture of them will end up on the front cover of a magazine. Just look at the incident of Jessica Simpson's weight gain when she was berated and celebrated in equal measure; what a lot of fuss about nothing, but it is these conflicting messages which are being sent out to teenagers.

Yet, however much teenagers want to be slim many are going the opposite way and finding themselves in the awkward position of being overweight or obese. There is enough pressure on teenagers to fit in as it is but this can be even harder for those with a weight problem. They are more likely to become depressed if they feel the odd-one-out and may even seek comfort in food. This may perk them up for a few minutes but it doesn't remove their underlying problems and can end up making their situation worse.

Even those who are not overweight often spend too much time focusing on becoming slimmer, aiming to be as skinny as they can. Some take their obsession too far and can develop eating disorders as a result. Eating disorders aren't necessarily 'caused' by seeing the unrealistic images of skinny beauty that are constantly in the media but they can certainly contribute to teenagers' low self-esteem and put ideas into their heads about how much value skinniness has in Western society.

Teenage girls have probably always been concerned about being slim and fitting in with their peers, but it seems that the situation has worsened as celebrity magazines have become more popular and teenagers are constantly exposed to images of the beautiful, thin people. An unrealistic ideal of beauty has left many of them struggling to appreciate the bodies they have got and thus they are never satisfied with their appearance, focusing on their weight as the main problem.

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