Things in our culture become more valuable because they are rare.  The fewer people that can obtain something—whether it is expensive or there is only a small available quantity or access is limited in some other way—the more of us without are supposed to want it.  This isn’t only true of designer clothing, luxury cars, precious stones, or vacation homes, it is also true of bodies.  A practically impossible body, rare and therefore valuable, is young with white teeth, flawless skin, and very little body fat.  This is the ideal, especially for white women.  Muscle and bone are believed inherently more valuable than fat or a hard earned wrinkle.  Scars, pimples, or cellulite are unacceptable and render the body common and worth little. 

The ideal body is unattainable for most and even if achieved, such a body is difficult to maintain.  However, this difficulty is at the heart of the ideal body’s value.  Its value in turn generates revenue for a whole series of specialized businesses—cosmetic surgery, fitness magazines, personal trainers, weight loss counseling services, cosmetics, home exercise equipment, gyms and fitness centers, diet food, nutritional supplements—entire shopping malls full of all the extras one would need in their quest for the ideal body.  

© Salahub 2003