To continue with the topic of body image, we wanted to explore the concept of body proportion and what makes a body beautiful. As stated in the previous post, we are bombarded every day by the media pressuring us to look a certain way. Who decided these guidelines and rules anyway? And how? Women are told they should be thin, yet still have curves and men should be trim with muscular definition. But why? As it turns out, dating back to ancient Greece, mathematicians have been studying what makes things perfect and precise. This resulted in a formula of measurements which yield the ratio 1: 1.618, known as the Golden Ratio. While this was originally applied to architecture and nature, people have also used this ratio on the human body. Those who we deem to be beautiful tend to display the Golden Ratio. From the head to shoulders, and the shoulders to navel, proportionate people will not be and even 1:1, but rather a perfect 1:1.618.
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So, while it seems like the media is pulling these beauty guidelines out of thin air, there is actually a reason for what we feel defines beauty dating back thousands of years. However, not everyone is built to be proportioned this way. Is it fair that the media is telling us we should all look this way when, in some cases, it is impossible? We all want to be considered beautiful, and with so many people telling us we need to look a certain way, no wonder body image is something many people struggle with. We cannot change our bone structure, but many feel they can defy all odds by changing other aspects of their appearance. How do you deal with the pressure to look "beautiful"? Do you feel the Golden Ratio the sole determination of beauty?
For more info on the Golden Ratio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZI6d1SPvE4
http://www.intmath.com/numbers/math-of-beauty.php
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