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Appearance is the most obvious human characteristic. A person’s physical facade makes an important difference in how society treats him or her, and is therefore a major factor in the quality of life. Attractiveness has always played a crucial role in the way people behave and how they react to one another. “In time, sociologists and psychologists began to explore the social consequences of appearance” (Romm, 1992). Our society seems to favour those individuals who are considered to be attractive. Despite the old saying, "never judge a book by its cover," beauty certainly impacts one's sense of understanding and control over the world. “The vehicle through which we experience our surrounding environment, the body comes to symbolize the individual and her or his emerging self” (Woodforde, 1992). Body image, specifically a negative or distorted one, can affect one's physical health, happiness, and choice of lifestyle. The body image thus shapes one’s behaviour, alters perceptions of the self and others, and defines our feeling of worth and value in the world. The physical appearance of the female body in our culture represents far more than just a physical entity. “Men in our culture have a tendency to sexually objectify their partners” (Gimlin, 2002). For heterosexual women, physical attractiveness has thus become essential for the ability to attract a man. “Identity and status for many adolescent girls of all social classes and ethic groups come through creating and appealing exterior and personality to attract male attention” (Hancock, 2000). Physical attractiveness is thus an essential component of finding a mate. Being beautiful is seen as an advantage to women and gives them an edge over the competition. This can be correlated to Darwin’s theory: “Survival of the fittest.” Since beauty is seen as an advantage, it acts as a basis of strength and gives acclaim to those who are viewed attractive. In several staged experiments, psychologists have tested people’s honesty towards good looking and plain looking people. For example, in one study, seventy-five college men were shown photographs of women, some of whom were very attractive and others less so. They were asked to select the person they would be most likely to do the following: help move furniture, loan money, donate blood, donate a kidney, swim one mile to rescue, save her from a burning building, and even jump on a terrorist hand grenade. “The men were most likely to volunteer for any of these altruistic and risky acts for a beautiful woman. The only thing they seemed reluctant to do for her was loan her money” (Etcoff, 1999). Good-looking people also have a greater social power than do homely ones. Moreover, “those who associate with a beautiful person can absorb and reflect some of his or her glory” (Romm, 1992). The attractive person can also seem as a valuable commodity. People who select an attractive date, spouse or employee may feel that they may absorb the power the beautiful one wields, or they may see themselves as important and worthy enough of having a beauty consent to accompany them. “The person who does the selecting believes that he or she will assume the favourable attributes of the attractive one, and this connection will carry social advantage” (Romm, 1992).
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