! Yes They're Fake ! Book & Publication Reviews - Appearance Obsession: Learning to Love the Way You Look

Appearance Obsession: Learning to Love the Way You Look by Joni E. Johnston

I first must say that I believe beauty is relative. This book is written by a clinical psychologist who was bombarded by family members nudging her towards perfection throughout childhood. It saddens me to know that I know SO many women who feel the exact same way and I wonder truly how much the media does have to do with this all. Is it not the consumers who buy the magazines which portray the waif-thin models? After all aren't we supposed to be looking at the clothes and not the body?

We all know that there are two sides to every coin but we also know that society and eve our own family members may show intentional, or unintentional, favoritism to those whose appearances shine. And I don't mean from an oily T zone. I mean true beauty. Everyone would be lying if they say that they don't feel better when they look their best than when they have gained a little (or more) weight, have a break out or "have nothing to wear". We have all been affected by how we look to ourselves and how others believe we look.

Some may argue that this book is not for those who truly "need" to lose weight or have plastic surgery and that it is more for people who are attractive and are "too sick to see it". This is ludicrous - beauty is relative and that is just another ridiculous arm of society depicting what is more attractive than the other. This book is helpful for ALL people in ALL walks of life which way be uncomfortable with the way they look. It is about being unhappy or self conscious with the way you look, not how maybe you are a little over or underweight than the next person - it is about feeling the need to look good and realizing what can be changed healthily.

This book is a first person account of the authors pain growing up and realizing just exactly how events can trigger neuroses or lack of esteem, at a very young and impressionable age. It contains questionnaires and surveys to determine your level of self esteem and just how much you are affected by media coverage of the beautiful. Personally I a, a little tired of hearing it is the media's fault. People know what is attractive to them - it isn't like we are THAT impressionable. Nature takes precedence - Read Nancy Etcoff's "Survival of the Prettiest for a not so new look at what drives us to become attracted to those who are beautiful.

I still recommend this book, however - I like the way it is written and enjoy reading and comparing the author's experiences. It contains helpful advice and offers support ion an seemingly individual level Just don't allow yourself to use the media as a crutch for any lack of esteem you may have. I think there are far more issues at stake to cause image problems - such as personal experiences, relationships or lack thereof, chemical imbalances and random incidents can all trigger low self esteem.

For more information on image disorders, see our special Body Dysmorphic Disorder section.

For more information on societal ideals and appearance, see our "Ideal Beauty?" section.

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