Perfection in an Imperfect World Anorexia nervosa is a lifelong eating disorder that results in the refusal to maintain fifteen percent of an individual's normal body weight. “From the catwalks of fashion weeks to the covers of magazines, thin is in fashion” states Calvin Klein in one of his latest articles (“Media”). In the image-conscious film The Devil Wears Prada every outfit, shoe, color and even every calorie counts. “You're so skinny,” says Andy Sachs (“The Devil Wears Prada”). Emily (“The Devil Wears Prada”) responds “Really? It's for Paris; I'm following this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything and when I feel like I'm about to pass out I eat a cube of cheese. I'm just one stomach flu away from reaching my ideal weight” – (“ Intro ”). What should teenagers think when they see and hear statements like this on TV? Are media influence, peer pressure and low self-esteem responsible for teenagers' obsession with body image and the dangerous eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa? Most adolescents with anorexia share the hope that by focusing on appearance, they can improve their self-esteem. Unfortunately, when weight and shape are the only measures of self-esteem, every episode of binge eating or a single pound of weight gain can result in harsh self-criticism, depression and anxiety. (“low self”) Adolescents with low self-esteem may be particularly sensitive in meeting society's expectations and may go beyond dieting and develop anorexia. A person's level of self-esteem shows how much value people place on themselves. Adolescents with high self-esteem tend to feel a sense of control over the direction of their life and feel content and satisfied in most aspects of their life ("Self-Esteem"). While, many teenagers with anorexia nervosa have been found to suffer from a horrible sense of… middle of paper… Lukyanova has a nineteen inch waist, is five feet nine inches tall, weighs one hundred and eight pounds, and wears a size ten in children's clothing. (" Barbie ") A twenty-eight-year-old girl five feet nine inches tall should weigh between one hundred and thirty-one and one hundred and sixty pounds. (“Anorexia 3”) What Valerie Lukyanova did is the kind of action that happens when children, teenagers and even young adults go too far with characters like Barbie and beauty advertising. The body types of models and figures like Barbie and Bratz are not normal and are unattainable for the average human being. The constant force of these images on society tries to make us believe that we should look like a Barbie or a porcelain doll with a waist so small it looks like a toothpick. People have to constantly remind themselves that these images and figures are not real.