...Self-esteem is a major challenge in our era today, especially in younger women. It lies at the heart of many of the diverse issues and challenges we face in life. But what exactly is self-esteem? According to the Webster’s Dictionary self-esteem is “the confidence in which we view ourselves”. Everyone needs self-esteem, regardless of age, sex, and ethnicity, considering it affects virtually every facet of life. The positive self esteem that middle school girls possessed in the past no longer exists and the lack of a strong sense of self will negatively affect these young girls well into their futures. Low self-esteem is a feeling of being unworthy, of not measuring up to others and feeling incapable of achievements or successes in life. Low-self esteem essentially comes about from a lack of self-love and self-rejection (Teen, 2). It is rooted in past experiences, especially if the person did not get much affirmation and reinforcement in their childhood, or was hurt and rejected in some way, and has fear and negative thinking at its core (Harter, 2). Other causes that trigger low self esteem in middle school adolescent girls include peer pressure from social groups, the media, and elders. Low self-esteem can be physically, mentally and socially debilitating (Results, 1). Countless amounts of problems occur if a young teen has self-esteem issues. According to the Dove self-esteem support foundation, “Over 50% of women say their body disgusts them, 6 out of 10 girls think they'd...
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...them, three out of ten Filipinos are suffering from obesity. Moreover, Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology has supported these findings and claimed that it is a “growing epidemic”. The results also show that there are more cases of female obesity than male. Obesity is commonly associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and mortality. (Corbin & Welk, 1970) For women, obesity implies more risk in developing complications due to maternity. Before, it was only a term for the condition of a person who suffered from exposure to unhealthy living that created excess weight. (Fahey, Insel & Roth, 2011) An article in the Journal of Obesity revealed that many obese people suffer from depression and low self-appreciation. In the study, it was observed that obese people tend to have a lower self-esteem compared to their thinner counterpart. In accordance to this, researchers have already conducted experiments to examine the relationship between obesity and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem. In all cases of obesity, people have larger body size. Therefore, obesity makes them more conscious about their body image to avoid social...
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...be widely accepted as fact that women wrestle with a lack of confidence or lowered sense of self-esteem. The perception has been that females have a underlying lack of trust in their own merit and this gender-based, diminished self-esteem has restrained females success. Whether this perception is accurate and, if so, investigating the underlying causes for lowered female self-esteem have been a major topics for researchers. While debate about levels of self-esteem as it relates to gender differences persist, an increasing number of peer-reviewed, scientifically sound studies have recently examined the implications of nature versus nurture, or inborn versus environmental factors, on the development of self-esteem....
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...variables and self-rated health in young adult obese women Mary Jane Smith, PhD, RN a,⁎, Laurie Theeke, PhD, FNP-BC a, 1, Stacey Culp, PhD a, 2, Karen Clark, MD b, 3, Susan Pinto, MSN, RN a, 4 a b WVU School of Nursing, PO Box 9600, Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506-9600 School of Medicine, Student Health Services, PO Box 9247, Health Sciences Center South, Morgantown, WV 26506-9247 a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 10 October 2013 Revised 4 November 2013 Accepted 4 November 2013 Keywords: Obesity Self-rated health Stress Loneliness Self-esteem a b s t r a c t Aim: The aim of this study is to describe relationships among self-rated health, stress, sleep quality, loneliness, and self-esteem, in obese young adult women. Background: Obesity has steadily increased among young adults and is a major predictor of self-rated health. Methods: A sample of 68 obese (BMI 30 or higher, mean 35), young (18–34 years, mean 22) adult women were recruited from a health center. Survey data were gathered and analyzed using descriptive and bivariate procedures to assess relationships and group differences. Results: Scores reflected stress, loneliness, poor sleep quality, and poor self-esteem. There were positive correlations among stress, loneliness, and sleep quality and, a high inverse correlation between loneliness and self-esteem. Those who ranked their health as poor differed on stress, loneliness, and self-esteem when compared...
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...more time and to focus on their own lives. In “Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom”, Leslie Bell points out that many young women face a very harsh situation in this society because they are suffering from stress that form main social value. During her essay, she aids some real personal sexual experience and feeling from Claudia, Jayanthi and Alicia and talks about both positive and negative impacts, which bring by their sexual experience....
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...and Self-Perception Much of nutrition focuses on the individual who is responsible for picking the right foods, eating healthy, exercising, and doing what’s best for their body. Nutrition consultations are one-on-one, focused on the single person’s dietary needs and deficiencies. However most of us are a part of a larger network of people, whether it be because we’re married, work in a large office, or have a tight-knit group of friends. Who we eat with, as it turns out, has a big impact on what we eat (Delormier, Frohlich, and Potvin, 2009). The idea of eating as a social activity is nothing new, but how food choices are influenced by these social interactions may impact body image and self-esteem in the long run. Also, body mass indexes (BMI’s) and gender play into the relationship. This paper will focus on the social aspects of eating and how unhealthy eating affects body image and self-esteem. Fast food has become an icon for inexpensive, tasty, and quick meals. In 2009, consumers in America “spent almost $600 billion at fast food restaurants” alone (Tangari, Burton, Howlett, Cho, and Thyroff, 2010, p. 2). However, most fast food is deemed unhealthy, because it is “high in calories, saturated fat, and sodium” (Tangari, Burton, Howlett, Cho, and Thyroff, 2010, p. 2). Does this stop people from eating it? Obviously not, but how do people feel after they eat it? One way that someone can evaluate their feelings about themselves, is to consider their self-esteem. According...
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...PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES OBESE WOMEN Research Critique Psychosocial Variables of Obese Women Wendy Cockron Group 2 Nurse Researchers: Miles, J., Nweke, K, Thompson, J., Williams, R. Zober, A. The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing In partial fulfillment of the requirements of N3321 Nursing Research Denise Cauble PhD (c), RN, CWOCN April 26, 2014 “Research is a diligent, systematic inquiry or study that validates and refines existing knowledge and develops new knowledge” (Burns & Grove, 2011, p. 4). In nursing, we want to use evidence-based practice to further our knowledge and provide the most effective outcomes for everyone involved. To acquire evidence –based knowledge, nurses must analyze and critique research and presentations. Nurses should not simply rely on traditions, authority and role modeling. Critiquing of research is an important part of nursing process and should be done throughout the career. As a research group, we performed a critique and review on a study looking at psychosocial variables among obese women. Research Problem and Purpose Smith, Theeke, Culp, Clark and Pinto conducted a quantitative study to look at the relationships among psychosocial variables and obesity (2014). According to Smith et al., the problem statement is “the psychosocial variables of perceived stress, sleep quality, loneliness and self-esteem have not been studies as a cluster of variables in a sample of young adult women with a BMI>30” (2014...
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...Danielle Spieler Kristen Hughes ENG 105 October 23, 2012 Women in the Media According to Dove Research, The Real Truth about Beauty, only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (“Surprising Self Esteem Statistics”). Women in the media are shown as having a body type that is unrealistic and impractical. Although mass media has many negative effects on today’s women, including low self-esteem, an increase in eating disorders and an inaccurate definition of beauty, advertisements and thin models can also serve as role-model and as inspiration. From dolls to Victoria’s Secret models, women are exposed to all types of media images that portray “the thin ideal” from a very early age. Media pressure to be thin can cause individuals to have negative thoughts about their appearance. According to psychologist Tiffanie Domil, “Body image is the way people perceive themselves, and the way they believe others perceive them” (“The Influence of Media Images”). Therefore body image is all about what we see about ourselves, and our opinions of our bodies, even though they opinions may not be exactly true. For example, one woman might think she is overweight when in reality she is perfectly healthy. There have been multiple studies done to connect media to women’s low self-esteem. One example of the effects of media is in Fiji in 1995, when televisions were introduced. Statistics show that after 38 months of being exposed to media, females started to be more conscious...
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...Documenting Sources Michelle Jones COM/150 June 27, 2010 Documenting Sources The main topic of my essay is Beautiful Woman-A Organization Creating Powerful Women. The subtopics chosen to support this topic is: Education, Self Esteem and Workshops. These topics will best describe the point of the main topic chosen for women. As woman working to become the overall "Beautiful Woman, I have learned the major sacrifices it takes to be that soulful and realistic person. Often time's women tend to loose themselves in the shuffle of life and they forget about the importance of being a woman. Sure we were placed here to be the nurtures to our families, friends and spouse but aside from all of that we have to nurture [us] first (which can sometimes be complicated when you become use to pleasing others). I plan to show in this essay why it is important that every woman understands her position as a woman and how it is important for us to be as empowered as possible. In 1833; Oblerin College was founded. It was the nations first university to accept women and black students. The next important event was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. This convention added fuel to the flame of education and suffrage. The Seneca Falls Declaration has been called “the single most important document of the nineteenth-century American woman’s movement”. At the convention a declaration concerning women’s rights was adopted modeling the Declaration of Independence. Appearing...
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...Two, men treat the women as sex objects. Shakespeare is known for having sexual language in his plays. Demetrius has sex with Helena; nevertheless, he does not love her. In society, men target on women. Men can be charming to contract anything they want. He proves women are treated like objects in this play. For example, Helena said “…Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. / We cannot fight for love, as men may do. / We should be wooed and were not made to woo.” (II, i, 240-242) This can make the audience develop sympathy or empathize with Helena. Making her as human and a character a person in the audience would want to care about. Good literature has empathy and this gives some empathy to the play. In addition, Theseus only sees Hippolyta...
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...Those who are diagnosed with BDD “commonly suffer from emotional disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. As part of obsessive thinking, some people with BDD may obsess about a perceived deformity in one area of their body, and may repeatedly seek cosmetic surgery to ‘correct’ it.” (University of Maryland Medical Center). Constantly worrying about ones self-appearance may lead to another cause of bulimia, low...
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...sociological issue in both the United States and Jamaica today. It is believed that light skin is valued over dark skin in communities all over, in turn causing people to make changes to their natural physical appearance. Studies have been conducted with aims to determine why people bleach their skin, if it has to do with self-image, identity, or if it’s due to psychological scaring from the past. Dating back to plantation slavery, social relationships among Africans and white communities shaped what is now perceived as “acceptable” in communities now a day. “Dark skinned people were considered to be devalued whereas light skin was valued.” (Charles 2003) The Mulattoes, which were the people mixed with Black and white, were allowed to work in the great house. The Africans on the other hand were socialized to show deference to the mulattoes on the plantation (Charles 2009). Today, more than 90% of Jamaica’s population is of African descent and dominate the political landscape, but the minority dominates the economy. Although class and color distinction are very important in society, there is minimal tension over race (Charles 2009) Identity, as well as self-esteem is often thought to be the reason behind skin bleaching. Slavery was an extremely traumatizing experience for the Africans. They were brainwashed into believing that the values of the British communities were more important than that of their own. It was back then when Africans through socialization began devaluing...
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...Self Before discussing the concept of self-esteem, we should know the evolutionary development of the human self. There is general acceptance that many of the capacities we experience as part of a unified self are features that distinguish us from even our closest evolutionary cousins (Leary & Buttermore, 2003). Thus, providing a coherent, evolutionary account of the self would gives us understanding our uniquely human character. . There is some agreement that the self is involved in at least three main processes – reflexive capacity (the ability to depict oneself in relation with one’s environment), representational capacity (the ability to mentally represent personal attributes), and executive function (the ability to exert control over one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) (Leary & Tangney, 2003) Self esteem Self esteem is the perception that one is a valuable member of a meaningful universe. It is an attitude about the self & is related to personal beliefs about skills, abilities, social-responsibilities and future outcomes. Self- esteem is the emotional response that people experience as they contemplate & evaluate different things about themselves. In general we can say self-esteem as how we value ourselves, how we perceive our value to the world & how valuable we think we are to others. It is the evaluative aspect of the self concept that corresponds to an overall view of the self as worthy or unworthy way (Baumeister,1998). Self-esteem has...
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...unattainable and by comparing, women experience discontent with their body size and shape ranging in degrees of seriousness. a. College-age women who viewed models had lower body self-esteem (source 2 P 5) b. Even when people know its not real, they still compare and feel inferior (source 1 P10, source 6 P 3) c. Women with bigger self esteem are less effected by the images, while those with low self-esteem and body disturbance compare themselves more. (source 3) (source 1 P 7 moderators) a. With American women larger than ever, more extreme measures have to be taken to reach the thin ideal, which is smaller than ever. (Source 1 P 2) b. Discrepancies in comparison lead to unpleasant emotions which lead to the misuse and abuse of food. (Source 1 P6) c. Models have collapsed because of eating disorders and health inquiries have begun and measures taken (Source 1 P 2) C: Health is threatened and self-esteem plummets when body hatred encouraged by media images drives a person to abnormal eating behaviors. (source 4) Excessive Preoccupation with Appearance T: Dieting and exercising and a desire to lose weight is considered normal for American women. Media portrays being thin and beautiful as the most important qualities a woman can attain. a. "Constant dieting and the relentless pursuit of thinness has ecome a normative behavior among women in Western Society" (source 4) b. 89% of women in a study of 3000+ women wanted to lose weight (source 4) ...
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...identifies the lack of respect that men give women but it is also reminding a woman her self-value. Many people believe that Hip Hop has the ability to connect with the soul. Word Press recently conducted a study and concluded that women are objectified and mistreated in Hip Hop lyrics (Cundiff 13). Hip hop’s derogatory lyrics have effected women’s relationships, body image and self-esteem. Hip Hop lyrics contacting explicit content about women have effected their relationships with men. Some women are infatuated with the Hip Hop artist and the money, cars and lifestyle that they talk about in their lyrics. Women can be oblivious by the lyrics that are being said in Hip Hop songs/ music. They are conforming as well as accepting for Hip Hop artist to degrade them which hinders their relationship with a man by allowing them to be insulting. “Hip Hop is a man’s game”- (Hurt06) Sug Knight , meaning that you have to play the role to get the part, in other words to receive a record deal. Rapper Kanye West wrote a song called “I’m in It”. “Black girl sippin white wine put my fist in her like a civil rights sign” He is clearly stating that it is acceptable to be physically violent with a woman. This type of attitude is what can lead up to abusive relationships. Statistics have proved that black women are 35% more likely to be physically assaulted than white women. (Hurt 06). This is because of the derogatory lyrics that artist’s rap about towards women causing them to be physically assaulted...
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