3.3 Body Confidence

Drive Towards Perfection

Italy has some of the most famous works of art and literature, and they have allowed the country to flourish, but this constant drive toward perfection mixed with the rise of the internet and social media has created serious problems...

In modern times, many people (not just Italians) have developed an obsession with their appearance (aspetto). This problem is not exclusive to a specific gender, age, socioeconomic class, etc. Instead, it affects all people, and people must realize that appearances change, yet personality and character traits are forever.

Italian models have also shaped Italian beauty standards. Here is an example of the Italian model Bianca Balti:

image courtesy of Vogue

Cosmetic Surgery ✄ ✄

• There are more than 10 million plastic surgeries every year in Italy. They learned the practice from Brazil.
• The wealthy can afford to get the procedures in nice establishments, but even those with less money can find a way to get the surgery (sometimes dangerously) if they want it that badly.
• The women inflate their breasts (seni) and change their profile. The men eliminate fat in their thighs.
• The surgeries can be dangerous, and many die during the interventions. ❌ ❌

Tanning Booths

• There is a new obsession with tanning booths because people want to look bronzed (essere abbronzati).
• This has led to many deaths because of the constant exposure to harmful UV light leading to cancerous melanoma.

Sun Exposure ☀️ ☀️

To continue with the idea that people desire the look of tanned skin, many will spend hours outside in the sun. There are advantages to the hot air, but too much exposure can have disastrous consequences...

• +++- Absorption of necessary calcium through an increase in Vitamin D- Increases mood and well-being- Prevents the onset of depression and anxiety
• • • - - Can cause inflammation of the eyes- May lead to tumors and melanoma- Redness of the skin

The rise of social media and the internet has only intensified these problems. Now more than ever, people are striving to look exactly like the models whom they believe to have the "perfect" bodies. It is affecting the self-esteem of individuals and creating internal conflicts, so the issues must be addressed. There is a push for people to embrace who they are and to learn to love themselves for their beautiful uniqueness 😀 🙌🏻 

Strive for Five Vocab 🔑🔑

• La chirurgia - surgery
• Gonfiare - to inflate
• Sollevare - to lift
• Il grasso - fat
• Le cosce - thighs
• I corpi - bodies
• L'atteggiamento - attitude
• Il comportamento - behavior
• L'autostima - self esteem
• Le pelle - skin
• La tanoressia - tanning dependence
• L'ansia - anxiety
• Attraente - attractive