Why are there so many girls in their teens asking if they are overweight when they aren't?

I learned a lot about this in health/media studies. It is about what is portrayed in modern media. By putting a certain sized model on the cover of a popular magazine, girls feel that they need to look like that because that is considered the "ideal image". I heard of an issue in Fiji that had to do with body image. Before, people were considered beautiful if they had extra meat on their bones but when they were exposed to the media, they realized that to be "beautiful", you have to have certain features and look like everyone on the covers of magazines. That just shows you what has been going on in girls' heads because of the impact of the media and how, in a way, it is bringing down self-esteem.

Because some people make them feel ugly is one reason. The other is media. If they see even the slightest bit of a roll when they bend they might freak out and go on a crash diet. Especially with toothpicks on TV like Nicole Richie. They don't understand they need some fat to be healthy!!

Because of the combination of the media pressures to not be overweight and the media showing them pictures of girls that are like 90 punds and they think that is what they should weigh.

Because you are constantly shown images of celebs who are stick thin! Being overweight now seems to be 130..these girls are like 90 pounds, and they think it's normal and cute! It isn't. It's getting worse, too. Every magazine you pick up has stick thin models in it. IT's awful and i feel for them

You can thank photo software.

With photo software, EVERYONE can be perfect in any way.

Especially weight.

A few button strokes, and you are are a size two.

And THAT is what advertisers want.

So the girls see those photos, and look at themselves. They are not perfect! Neither is the person on the photo. Do you think Beyonce is perfect? Of course not. It is makeup, hair, clothing, photos altered, etc, etc.

because this is how the world works. This is how it has always worked. Skinny isn't necessarily unhealthy. For example: A lot of Asian women are 'skinny' but they do not look unhealthy. In their culture skinny to us is normal to them.

I'm just saying... it's a preference. I'm not saying it's right or healthy for them to think this way, but it is what it is.

SO MANY ARE!! They probably are terrified of looking like the huge butts they also see waddling around is too tight spandex pants.

Because the media portrays FAT=UGLY and THIN=BEAUTIFUL.

It's as simple as that, and magazines, tv, and movies are proof.

pressure ..

media .. and lots of factors///

we just dont want to be obese or overweight..

because they are worried about getting fat and want to fix it before they get there