Hesse Biber- Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity :: essays research papers

The Cult of Thinness Many modern women subject themselves to an acuate day-to-day involvement in the pursuit of daintiness demands. These demands resemble those behaviors unremarkably associated with cult hood. Three main tools ar used in install to achieve this goal or ideal. The Cult of Thinness invests in thinness through primary rituals. The rituals are followed through by the obsession of a particular ideal body. There are also extremities or positions of high authority with extreme involvement in cults, much like the level of devotion in The Cult of Thinness.Daily actions of checking and critiquing support be performed in many ways. Body monitoring offers an array of resources. Constantly weighing 1s self is a way of achieving quantitative precision. Being adapted to pinpoint an exact gain or loss is a emergency in this cycle. To be able to have an ideal weight and to accurately compare yourself leaves no room for misinterpretation. Counting Calories helps maintain di scipline to be sure non to exceed the limit. If one eats certain confine food for thought, it is seen to be sinful or as breaking the rules. This restriction of food intake is in a highly disciplined way. This is part of a larger process of dieting and exercising which is used in an neurotic manner to obtain the perfect body. These diet rituals can go as far as to fast for days at a time. another(prenominal) tool of monitoring is food watching, monitoring the intake of good and knotty foods. Nutritionally healthy foods are considered good. Anything else, from sweets to foods with fat, are considered bad foods.Other rituals are performed through comparisons. By evaluating and examining old pictures and using them as motivation. Having a unvaried reminder of previous slimness can push a soulfulness to regain what might be an unrealistic goal. Mirrors provide a discriminating image to the viewer. You only see what you want to. This is particularly important, as almost members to this Cult of Thinness have low self esteem. A mirror can be used to scrutinize and dissect physical flaws. A mirror reflects the virtual image of an object placed in apparent movement of it. This provides an analogy for how society fosters womens obsession with their weight and body image. These rituals can serve as a reminder to ones self that one is not meeting the standards, guilt and self penance are results.In a cult, there is an object or ideal to worship.