Are other countries as obsessed about appearance as America?

HappyGirl1976

I suppose I should introduce myself as I am new here. My name is Amy and I live in the US. I've always been fascinated with Ireland (the country looks so beautiful, the people boisterous and lively) which is how I ended up on this board. Just curious!

I haven't been out of the country much (Tahiti on my honeymoon and Canada is all). So I was curious if people in other countries are as obsessed about appearance as in America?? People here seem to always be trying to achieve "perfection". People trying to be like the size 0 Hollywood bobble heads... I don't get it. It seems were are constantly bombarded with what we should look like, what we should weigh, what we should wear. I was just curious if others felt the constant pressure to be perfect and are obsessed with it. Or are you more relaxed about it?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

if americans really are obsessed with perfect appearance how come the rest of the world makes jokes about your obesity problems.

Handsome Bob

The media has fostered an obsession with appearance in not just the US, but throughout the world. We're bombarded with images of what's perfect.

Children have role models such as Miley Cyrus and Hilary Duff and will criticise anything that doesn't fit what they believe to be attractive. Just recently I overheard a conversation between a group of young Irish girls talking about the latest Alicia Keys video and about "how fat she had gotten". Now I don't know about you, but if Alicia Keys is fat then I'm as fat as Marlon Brando was.

Even if you just go over to the celebrity forum on this site you'll seea thread about how fat Marylin Manson has gotten. However upon viewing the pictured in the thread I was left wondering whether I was seeing the same pics as the OP. He didn't look fat to me, he just didn't look like the skinny wretch that he once was, that's all.

I don't think it's something that's exclusive to America OP, not at all, and it's worrying.

HappyGirl1976

Good point Capt! I agree there is an obesity problem here. And I didn't mean to say that the obsession with perfection meant that there are a ton of perfect people here. I think the obsession can be from those who are thin/pretty or those who are obese... and we've got both! I'm just wondering why it's such an obsession and if that occurs in other countries.

HappyGirl1976

Good point Capt! I agree there is an obesity problem here. And I didn't mean to say that the obsession with perfection meant that there are a ton of perfect people here. I think the obsession can be from those who are thin/pretty or those who are obese... and we've got both! I'm just wondering why it's such an obsession and if that occurs in other countries.

And I'm sad to hear other countries have the media bombardment. It's a terrible thing that the children are growing up thinking they have to be 95lbs, blonde, big boobed etc in order to be pretty or accepted. Sad indeed.

Is Ireland obsessed with appearance? Yes and no.

Firstly I'll lead with a no, since Irish people tend to ignore the manner of the way they dress on a daily basis. Sure, many people make an effort on a Saturday night when they go out drinking or on the pull, but generally speaking Irish people don't go to much effort when going into town or such. I was appalled by the numbers of women (of all ages) wearing tracksuits walking around town during the day. After living in poorer countries like China and Thailand, I was amazed at the difference in dress by people. (I'm not singling out women in this, since men are just as bad). In other countries I have lived in, people make an effort with their clothes, makeup, hair, etc to show off a certain appearance or fashion style. Many Irish people don't seem to bother with that.

I would say that Irish people are obsessed with standards of living though.

Purple Gorilla

To be honest I don't think appearance matters as much here as it does in the US... Ireland must be one of the few countries where you'll regularly see girls going to the shops in their pyjamas :P

Michellenman

Purple Gorilla wrote: »

To be honest I don't think appearance matters as much here as it does in the US... Ireland must be one of the few countries where you'll regularly see girls going to the shops in their pyjamas :P

Unfortunately.

I think in terms of Irish role models for young people we do quite well. A lot of the so-called Irish celebs are regular size women of about a size 10 or so... which I think is about a 4/6 in American sizes. But there are a lot of outside and foreign influences that get to young people. A lot of our television comes from the US and Britain so we still see those skinny skinny skinny girls.

Michellenman

Michellenman wrote: »

Unfortunately.

I think in terms of Irish role models for young people we do quite well. A lot of the so-called Irish celebs are regular size women of about a size 10 or so... which I think is about a 4/6 in American sizes. But there are a lot of outside and foreign influences that get to young people. A lot of our television comes from the US and Britain so we still see those skinny skinny skinny girls.

But at the same time, you see many many girls that are obviously overweight. Recently I had some food in Supermacs and was shocked at the number of teenagers with major weight issues. And I mean serious weight hanging from their arms, and face in addition to the usual waist issues.

Still, many Irish people do look after themselves on the weight issue, at least by european standards. They're not fat, and not skinny. But I do think that many Irish people do need to look at themselves properly and seek to exercise the serious weight off them.

HappyGirl1976

very interesting. Depending on wher eyou are in the US, you will see varying degrees of dress as well. I go out in my gym clothes occasionally (but typically in jeans). And I find with the teens it is the same here: either super skinny or pudgy (especially in the waist).

I know when I was a teen (I'm 32 now), that most people were just a normal reasonable weight. A few heavy and a few tiny. I was a tiny one (had an eating disorder though, so not good) and it was uncommon. Nowadays I see so many that are tiny (obviously not everyone can look like that naturally, most can't). So I was curious if it was a USA thing or happened everywhere. It's rather disturbing to think of how common disordered eating is nowadays. Makes me sad.

AARRRGH

Italy? France? Scandanavia? Very appearance obsessed there...

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Ostrom

Yes and no, and in many different ways.

Jamaican society for example places high value (with regional variations) on well rounded, full bodies as a sign of charity and goodwill towards other; thin people are perceived as mean.

DadaKopf

People in other countries are definitely concerned about appearance. The French and Italians by their own admission (as I was talking to some).

But I think there's a difference between appreciation of good design/style as life enhancers and obsession with image as motivator for consumption, which always derives from insecurity/self-loathing which companies manufacture in people to pedal their commodities.

BumbleB

Deffo ,Sweden if you are not percieved to be attractive enough you will not get into top clubs .

beks101

I think disordered eating and screwed up body image is a feature of the western world, thanks mainly to the globalised media.

America seems to be heading up the obesity thing, but from my experience over there, it's a country of extremes on this matter. I don't think I knew what morbid obesity was until I went to the States, but for every one of those I saw, there was a neurotically skinny size zero type over-exercising and avoiding carbs like her life depended on it. Or an insanely buff gym going guy with zero body fat and an Arnie-style torso.

The unrealistic Hollywood images obviously filter through over here too - the OC, 90210, The Hills, celebrity mags...but I don't think the same extremes exist. Although people are getting fatter, obesity is on the up, over half of all adults are overweight...and I can't think of a single female friend of mine who doesn't want to lose weight. Some of them have enviable figures.

As long as the focus is on unattainable skinniness rather than health, and those images are presented along with quick fix diets and in the same breath, fast food and convenience food adverts...disordered eating is par for the course.

Actually I think the obesity aspect comes into effect when a country is experiencing more wealth than its used to. Its like people are afraid that it won't last and go crazy trying to take everything they can. Ireland is/was like this. It was only in the last 5-6 years that I saw large numbers of Irish people with severe weight problems. Although we have a culture where many men (and less so women) gained massive weight in their 40's/50's through heavy drinking, and heavy foods. Most of my uncles became large men in their 50's when they were originally well kitted out before. Perhaps thats tied to less physical work. But nowadays it seems that everywhere you look you will see a man or a woman with weight problems. Although they themselves might be ignoring their weight and have convinced themselves that its natural. For them. :rolleyes:

Its only really in the prosperous western countries I've seen this trend. In countries like China, Thailand, Russia, etc. there are those who are overweight, but the numbers are waaay smaller. In fact, they're a rarity.

In regards to women and weight, they have been concerned about their weight for as long as I can remember. That hasn't really changed, although some have taken it to extremes. I can remember my girlfriend in China saying that she was fat, but she was slimmer than most Western women. She was average for chinese women, and that was the problem in her eyes. She (and most chinese women) also considered western women to be all fat. Personally I just think that western women and Asian women to have different body setups, and similar weights will look different.

Lastly, in relation to the media, I think the common use of airbrushing in commercials is a major factor in affecting people. Every beauty product airbrushes its actresses/actors. I was watching a hair product ad which had Cameron Diaz in it, and she looked younger than me, when I know she's quite a bit older. People are encouraged to have unrealistic desires about how they themselves look, and are also encouraged to feel inadequate when they fail to achieve these unrealistic images. It encourages the purchasing of hundreds of products/services covering just about every part of the female body. Oh, and men are not exempt from this, although its not quite as effective. Yet.

ChocolateSauce

Everyone is concerned, but not many ore obsessed. My gf is from the US, and she constantly remarks how little the Irish care about their appearances compared to where she's from. I think it's a good thing; people who are into their appearance are almost always boring, stupid, shallow, pretentious and/or frivolous, to a greater or lesser extent.

I hear having stained teeth in the US matters for some reason? Is that true? Or just among Hollywood types?

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Its only really in the prosperous western countries I've seen this trend. In countries like China, Thailand, Russia, etc. there are those who are overweight, but the numbers are waaay smaller. In fact, they're a rarity.

That's interesting. We were talking about it only yesterday and I'd already Googled a couple of news articles on the subject of obesity in China. It seems that the more "westernised" China becomes (coupled with the parents tendency to dote on their only child) the bigger the children are getting.

Deleted User wrote: »

Personally I just think that western women and Asian women to have different body setups.

Very true. BMI's are different for different populations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3737162.stm

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7564/362

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

That's interesting. We were talking about it only yesterday and I'd already Googled a couple of news articles on the subject of obesity in China. It seems that the more "westernised" China becomes (coupled with the parents tendency to dote on their only child) the bigger the children are getting.

I worked as an english teacher looking after kids ranging from 3 years old to 10 years old in a private school. The fees required for the school ensured that the families were above the average income rates, although there were some families who had obviously made large sacrifices to send their kids there. There were a few kids around the 6-9 age bracket that were rather large, although I wouldn't include them as being obese but they could easily have continued to become such as they got older. These were the families that were benefiting from the raising of living standards (for some) in China. The one child rule in China guarantees that the mothers and some fathers dote on their child and rarely refuse them anything like food or drinks. Lunch time was always interesting to watch with the sheer number of crappy foods being supplied to their children. You could tell the richer families (apart from their clothes) by the meals bought from KFC or McDonalds.

seraphimvc

Deleted User wrote: »

Firstly I'll lead with a no, since Irish people tend to ignore the manner of the way they dress on a daily basis.

heh,man,try to walk around UCD (where thousands of young people gather) during day and night time:D:D

seraphimvc

seraphimvc wrote: »

heh,man,try to walk around UCD (where thousands of young people gather) during day and night time:D:D

When I said "tend" & "daily basis" I figured people would assume I meant daily life. Universities/Colleges are a different setup. Just as those going to work are a different setup. What do most students wear around town or going down to their mates places?

topper75

I have observed Italians and Croatians sparing nothing when it comes to clothing, and accessories such as sunglasses, even if salaries are low. There is this phenomenon called the passiagiata (sp?) where they just parade slowly up and down the town of an evening showing off at weekends. La bella figura and all that jazz.

Then again - I have observed Irish and British sparing nothing when it comes to booze and fags, even if salaries are low.

topper75

topper75 wrote: »

I have observed Italians and Croatians sparing nothing when it comes to clothing, and accessories such as sunglasses, even if salaries are low. There is this phenomenon called the passiagiata (sp?) where they just parade slowly up and down the town of an evening showing off at weekends. La bella figura and all that jazz.

I have friends in China, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia who feel the same way. They might have very little money to spare but they tend to buy better bargains, and take better care of themselves, than those with loads to spare. There is also a greater interest in keeping their skin clear, and healthy often going to elaborate & time consuming efforts.

When I was living in Australia I often saw Irish & British girls I knew lying out in the sun with makeup still applied, and then wondering why their skin got so dodgy. Throw in the binge drinking, and crazy lifestyles, and many of them looked in their late thirties even though they were still in their early 20's.

Then again - I have observed Irish and British sparing nothing when it comes to booze and fags, even if salaries are low.

Ditto.

rantyface

Most Irish people are overweight according to WHO and the Irish Times, so for most people health and appearance must be relatively unimportant.

You see a lot of very fat girls dressed up in skimpy clothes and exposing their bodies in night clubs here. I don't think the average self esteem is low enough for an eating disorder epidemic, if anything, a lot of people seem to think unduly highly of their appearance. Alcohol is a likely explanation for this.

I've noticed that rich people tend to be more interested than average in their weight, and there are fewer fat people in expensive areas. A friend of mine went to a fee paying school and said that a lot of girls were obsessed with their weight, and several had diagnosed eating disorders.

There is going to have to be a major drive to tackle obesity. We have free public health care and very soon, all our resources will be swamped by fat people.