When we hear about a Photoshopping controversy here in the United States, it usually means someone botched a hip or elbow while slimming her down. But skinny arms and pronounced hips aren’t necessarily every country’s ideal female figure. And now we have proof.
UK-based site Superdrug Online Doctors hired 18 female graphic designers around the world to retouch a photo of a woman to make her “fit their countries perceptions of beauty.” In the inforgraphic they produced below, we can see the dramatically varying results.
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Some of the retouched images look almost unrecognizable from the initial woman. While Peru changed the shape of her eyes, Serbia completely swapped out the model’s face. And the retouched Venezuela woman has much darker her and larger breasts.
As for the shockingly drastic thinning of China and Italy’s images, according to a survey conducted by Superdrug Online Doctors, her estimated BMI would fall under or dangerously close to 17.5. And according to NHS, “adults with anorexia generally have a BMI below 17.5.”
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And the Untied States’ alterations – you may not be surprised to hear— were a thigh gap, a smaller waist, and thinner arms.
We could take these finds and harp on the injustices women face to be considered attractive. Or we could take these differing results to only further prove and justify that there is no actual ideal standard of beauty.
