When the Human Body Became an Unrealistic Standard

Send us Fan Mail very generation carries an idea of what a healthy or strong human body is supposed to look like. The surprising part is how dramatically those expectations change even though the biology of the human body remains largely the same. From ancient sculpture to action figures, from Batman to Barbie, cultural images of the body have gradually shifted toward more extreme and exaggerated forms. Over time those images begin to feel normal, and people start comparing themselves to stan...