How far would you go to be beautiful?
Would you diet? Get surgery? Or stop eating altogether?
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Ukrainian model Valeria Lukyanova, also known as the Human Barbie, was recently reported as saying she’s converted to “Breatharianism”.This is a movement that believes that food and even water aren’t necessary because humans can exist on ‘cosmic micro-food’ from air and light.
Why has she chosen to do this? Nobody knows for sure.
But Lukyanova has said that she wants to be considered “the most perfect woman on the Internet”. Could it be that her desire to live without food is linked to its results on her rapidly shrinking waistline?
Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s hard to deny that the pressure on women to look beautiful can lead to radical actions like self-starvation and surgery.
Last Friday, Rebecca Adlington was seen out and about for the first time after purportedly having cosmetic surgery on her nose.
Life-long insecurity combined with abuse from Twitter users about her appearance is rumoured to have pushed Adlington to the point where surgery seemed the only option.
And while Adlington has neither confirmed or denied the rumours, the “before” and “after” pictures certainly show a dramatic change in the shape of her nose.
But while Lukyanova and Adlington seem happy with where their radical roads to beauty, not everyone feels the same way.
On the same day that Adlington debuted her new nose, former Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding commented that she regrets getting lip fillers in 2010 and expressed gratitude that they weren’t permanent.
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It was also the same day that administrator and former anorexic Laura Jones said that she thinks the “thigh gap” and “bikini bridge” crazes are damaging to young girls.
Plus, it’s only been a few weeks since Victoria Beckham admitted to Allure magazine that she did have breast implants when she was younger, although she didn’t explain why she’s since had them removed.
So with all these conflicting messages from celebrities and the media, what do collegiettes think about how far women should go to be beautiful?
Melissa: “I think women shouldn’t alter their natural forms any further than going to the gym. We should love our bodies for the way they are, and not strive to be a size 0 just because the celebs do.”
Montana: “I think females can easily be sucked into the world of wanting to be stick thin and flawless, but look at BeyoncĂ©, Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johansson – they’re all beautiful curvy women and they’re famous for that as well as their other talents.”
Shelby: “The media does make women insecure, most of our role models are thin and beautiful, and although you know a lot of the time they’re photoshopped it still pressurises you into wanting to look like that!”
But what do you think? How far is too far for beauty? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter @HerCampusCCCU.