Dying to be Thin Laurie Halse Anderson writes in Wintergirls, “The only number that would ever be enough is 0. Zero pounds, zero life, size zero, double-zero, zero point. Zero in tennis is love. I finally get it.” A person with no exposure to our society’s beauty standards would not feel this way. Anorexia is not a pre-existing mental disorder, but rather a behavior encouraged by television and advertising, social media, and blogs; anorexia is not a genetic condition but is caused by the media and other outside sources. Whether we realize it or not, we are heavily influenced by advertising and television. Excessive thinness is glamorized around the world. In fact, today’s models weigh on average 23% less than the national average (Nasso 110). Miss America is one of the most well known women in the pageant world. The ideal height and weight for a Miss America contender has changed drastically since the 1950’s. Weighing roughly 150 pounds, Miss America was approximately five feet and six inches tall (Stamford 1). Now, the standard is several inches taller and 40 pounds lighter (Stamford 1). Clearly our idea of beauty has shifted in the modeling world and seems to have encouraged anorexia as a lifestyle. Marilyn Monroe was a famous woman in the 1950s and…show more content… Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram attempted to ban photos tagged with “#thinspiration” (Rainey 1). The “thinspiration” of 2013 was the “thigh gap” (Smouse 1). A thigh gap is the space between a girl’s thighs while standing with her feet together. Many girls strive to achieve this gap because they believe it shows beauty and sexiness. The “bikini bridge” was the “thinspiration” in 2014 (Smouse 1). A bikini bridge is the space between a woman’s stomach and her swimsuit when lying down (Smouse 1). Instagram succeeded in banning “#thinspiration”. Users are now unable to search this hashtag on Instagram (Smouse