Association estimated that approximately 10 million women and 1 million men in the United
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371). This suggests that social expectations of the “ideal beauty” are compacted by a history of sexual objectification of women, causing a large percentage of women to view themselves as “not good enough”, therefore taking drastic measures (like extreme dieting or non-eating) to achieve what they have been taught by those in society is adequate. Self-objectification, or being excessively critical of one’s own body, often comes at the hands of objectification, a point that researcher Jennifer Muehlenkamp addresses in her study. The researcher specifically tested the hypothesis that there is in fact a relationship between self-objectification and eating disorders. Results confirm this hypothesis and write, “When confronted with one’s inability to attain the cultural standards of beauty, some women experience guilt, shame, and a sense of helplessness, all of which could contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. In order to cope with these depressive symptoms, women may engage in disordered eating as an attempt to control and change their appearance” (Muehlenkamp, 202, p. 377). Furthermore, high school and college women, being at a point in their lives when being accepted is crucial and there is immense pressure to be attractive and get a boyfriend, experience a much more intense sense of importance to “do whatever necessary” to achieve these