I. How many times a day do you look in the mirror and criticize your appearance for its unique qualities? Your unique qualities are often seen as flaws because they don't meet society's expectations or approval. Imagine being bombarded and suffocated by a plethora of advertisements indirectly sending messages that you are not good enough and that only their products can and will help achieve such an impossible goal of perfection. The reality is very true today. Across the world, every race, every gender, every age, every ethnicity is affected by the obsession with appearance. People are exposed and exploited by many factors in society, which encourages them to believe in becoming what they see and what they are told to be, making drastic measures an option until 'to an unhealthy obsession. People are obsessed with their appearance, taking desperate measures. Achieving unachievable perfection is more than just an individual problem; it is a societal, national and global problem. Appearance obsessions are not just a personal responsibility but a social problem that requires a social solution. This problem has spread to younger and younger generations, causing a ripple effect of many other problems throughout society. Many claim it only affects girls, but it also affects boys, even though they are increasingly likely to use steroids and other dangerous drugs (“eating disorders”). The effort to have a trim and muscular body has found its way among young college boys (Quenqa). This effort has led to an increase in the use of steroids, presenting many other dangers to developing bodies. The number of teenage bodybuilders has decreased because they cannot pass drug tests (Quenqa). Large quantities of ...... middle of paper ...... health and social services, July 1999. Web. November 29, 2013. United States. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. “For obese children, weight loss can sometimes lead to eating disorders.” Medline Plus. Health Day, September 2013. Web. November 27, 2013. United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Health and Nutrition Survey Division. “Average body weight, height, and body mass index, United States 1960-2002.” CDC. Department of Health and Human Services, October 2004. Web. November 29, 2013. United States. Ministry of Justice. Federal Communications Commission. “Media and childhood obesity.” Reboot. FCC, 2010. Web. November 29, 2013. Volpe, Michaela. “Beyond a Life of Comparison: A Sociological Self-Exploration of Body Image Obsession.” Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge 9.2 (2011): 37+. Academic OneFile. Internet. November 27. 2013.