SUMMARY 3

According to Hesse-Biber in her book “Am I thin enough yet?: The cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity” (New York: 1996), she claims that most young American women want to be thin whether they are rich or poor. Biber also tells the reader that many American women are willing to go to extraordinary way to obtain thin bodies. The author states that it is because the cultural message tells woman that a “valued” woman should have a thin body. Furthermore, the author suggests that moral judgment such as slenderness represents moderation, self-control and restraint but fat represents greed, poor impulse control and self-indulgence. Therefore, American woman are obsessed with thinness as Biber claimed. The author shows that sine 1960s, the ideal body type of women has become steadily slimmer and less curvaceous. In addition, Biber points out Miss America contestants have become more and more slender between 1958 and 1988 and the actual Miss America winners are the thinnest of all. The author claims than another reason makes women strive for thinness is American food, weight loss and cosmetic industries would like to boost their profits and created flawless cover girls as icons and make women obtain the unobtainable goal of physical perfection. The author believes that women can reject the culturally dictated ideal body image and she suggests that there are alternatives to the cult of thinness for women.

Reference:
Biber, H. (1996). Am I thin enough yet?: the cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity. New York: Oxford University Press.