Could the next big thing be being happy with yourself?

The concept of following a trend is old news. Something becomes popular, usually thanks to celebrity endorsement, and a trickle-down effect occurs until the item becomes a must-have. It's a tried-and-true cultural phenomenon; if it's hot in Hollywood, it's happening elsewhere two days later.

In the past I've simply laughed at (and more often than not, gone along with) the huge-sunglasses fad, the designer-jeans fashion, and the big-purse trend. But I'm more than a little disturbed by the popularization of the celebrities' latest look -- the sickly gaunt, too-thin body type that so many stars seem to be after.

For some reason, I hadn't expected the skeleton look to catch on. The girls I saw on television and in magazines looked almost malnourished, and I couldn't imagine that anyone would look at the stars' hollow eyes and bony frames and think, that's what I want . But as I walk around campus this year, I've seen more than just a few girls who have obviously lost too much weight.

This is part of a larger problem permeating our society: the desire to be flawless at all costs. Advertisers tell us we have to buy a weight-loss pill to be skinnier, or purchase a gym membership to become toned. We have to buy a padded push-up bra to look more endowed, we have to use this shampoo to make our hair full and shiny, we need to buy that mouthwash so our teeth can be pearly white.

While I'm all for self-maintenance, for staying healthy and looking your best, I don't think we should be going overboard. Constantly berating ourselves with all that we aren't, with everything we will never be, can't possibly be the path to happiness. Isn't there something to be said for being happy with the person that you are•

There was a recent ad campaign on television that featured women of all different ages, races, and sizes in black underwear, celebrating their bodies. To me, this was encouraging: not one of these women looked "perfect," but each seemed comfortable and happy in her own skin, obviously confident enough to go on national television sporting very little clothing. I wish more companies would take note. Anymore, it seems like we as consumers are being persuaded not to be ourselves, but to be someone else. Do we really want to be that homogeneous• And are we willing to give up so much of ourselves -- our money, and worse, our health--to look like the advertisements?

Growing up, especially during my teenage years, I always thought the sayings "You're perfect just the way you are" and "You're beautiful on the inside" were a little corny. But as I see some of my classmates and many of the stars walk around with their bones showing clearly through their skin, I can't help but to think about just how true those sayings are.

What's the solution, though• I don't think there's an easy answer. It's difficult to alter the ideology of a culture. But maybe we can change what this current image of "perfection" is by ascribing to our own theories of beauty and health, rather than to the ideals of an advertisement or the whims of Hollywood celebrities. Maybe then we'll see more advertisements that show us as we are, not as we should be.