In Hollywood, I’m obese.” This quote came from “Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence during a Nov. 2012 interview for eOnline. Lawrence is anything but obese, but in comparison to other Hollywood actresses, she doesn’t quite meet the “skinny Minnie” standard, which raises the question: why are societal standards so narrow regarding body image?

It’s no secret that in our modern day America, we associate “thin” with “beauty.” The age-old notion that body fat equates wealth is long gone, instead replaced with the thought that a slim shape equates to success.

However, the thin-yet-curvy body type girls strive for is unrealistic. Approximately 91 percent of women said they are unhappy with their current body shape, while only 5 percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by American media. The fortunate minority may be satisfied with the current status quo, but instead of teaching self-loathing, we should encourage appreciation. Lawrence, who will be featured as Katniss Everdeen in the Nov. 22 release of “Catching Fire,” has been a major proponent of this healthy image. Even when faced with threats of losing an acting opportunity, she stood strong and stuck to the belief that she shouldn’t have to change her body to adhere to Hollywood’s definitions of beauty. Her refusal to change is far more admirable than the usual conformation of models and actresses striving to make it big.

I recently stumbled upon this statement by Lawrence: “I’m never going to starve myself for a part … I don’t want little girls to be like, ‘Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner.’” This is what sets Lawrence apart—her care for the message she sends her fans, especially to the young teens who are the most impressionable to media’s portrayal of what’s beautiful and what’s not. With the slew of thin celebrities, it is apparent why young girls would need to hear this message more often. Girls who don’t fit the narrow confines of society’s idea of beauty shouldn’t judge themselves or base their body image off the images set by the media industry.

Admittedly, if an obese actress played Katniss, she would look deeply out of place and not do the book justice; however, Lawrence is nowhere near obese. The fact that such a beautiful woman has to choose between her values and her career opportunities is just sad.

Girls and young women are subjected not only to pressures from Hollywood’s thin actresses but also from their childhood toys, namely, Barbie, whose timeless face and perfect body continue to make it a popular item among young girls. If Barbie were a life-size woman, she would stand 6 feet tall and weigh 100 pounds; she would have anorexic body proportions that would make standing upright impossible from an anatomical standpoint. When I was a child, I absolutely adored my Barbie and Polly Pocket dolls and dreamed of looking as perfect as them (not that I took any extreme actions). Speaking from experience, as these young girls grow up, their role model shifts from their Barbie dolls to the myriad of thin celebrities they are exposed to daily. It’s a dangerous culture that we must aim to fix, and Lawrence has already spearheaded this effort.

Normal women don’t look like models, and absolutely no one can look like Barbie. Whether you’re a size 0 or a size 16, you should embrace and love your body.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Jessica at [email protected].