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

The Cult of Thinness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many modern women subject themselves to an intense day-to-day involvement in the pursuit of thinness demands. These demands resemble those behaviors commonly associated with cult hood. Three main â€Å"tools† are used in order 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 â€Å"ideal† body. There are also extremities or positions of higher authority with extreme involvement in cults, much like the level of devotion in The Cult of Thinness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily actions of checking and critiquing can be performed in many ways. Body monitoring offers an array of resources. Constantly weighing one’s self is a way of achieving quantitative precision. Being able to pinpoint an exact gain or loss is a necessity 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 discipline to be sure not to exceed the limit. If one eats certain â€Å"restricted† food, 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 obsessive manner to obtain the â€Å"perfect† body. These diet rituals can go as far as to fast for days at a time. Another â€Å"tool† of monitoring is food watching, monitoring the intake of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† foods. Nutritionally healthy foods are considered good. Anything else, from sweets to foods with fat, are considered bad foods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other rituals are performed through comparisons. By evaluating and examining old pictures and using them as motivation. Having a constant reminder of previous slimness can push a person to regain what might be an unrealistic goal. Mirrors provide a selective image to the viewer. You only see what you want to. This is particularly important, as most members to this Cult of Thinness have low self esteem. A mirror can be used to scrutinize and dissect physical flaws. â€Å"’A mirror reflects the virtual image of an object placed in front of it.’† This provides an analogy for how society fosters women’s 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.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a cult, there is an object or ideal to â€Å"worship.