“Trying to be perfect in a world that is so imperfect” seems so cliché for the majority of today’s society. For a handful of people that feel they can be perfect, this can have a bigger impact on life then intended. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, Lia, an eighteen year old girl is suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, while being haunted by her dead best friend’s soul. She is trying to recover, but is unable to cope with the taunting she gets from her ‘friend’. In Crystal Renn’s Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves, Crystal has all the looks to be a super star run way model, but there is one catch, she must lose weight. Soon enough Crystal just like Lia is consumed by an eating disorder and through food and exercise; she too is able to demonstrate how easy it is to be lured into an addiction. It is through the self determination and the influence of others, when they realize that they do not have to succumb the ideal image to have self worth and acceptance. Follow Lia Overbrook, and Crystal Renn, who both are convinced they have what it takes to have the ‘perfect’ physical appearance and be beautiful.
It is when people want something bad enough; they develop a sense of will power and determination to reach their goals. In Anderson’s Wintergirls, Lia shows how food and bones are signs of will power, success and control. As a result of her parents’ divorce, Lia feels the only way she is able to grasp a sense of control is through food. She is able to control what and how much of each food is able to go into her body. She is able to demonstrate will power because even when she is intentionally starving herself, she is still able to refuse food. She is able to control her urges to eat by constantly talking herself out of eating because she MUST remain empty as “empty is strong (Anderson 7). At one point she becomes so hungry that “[she] can gnaw [her] right hand off”, but is so deep into this addiction she still refuses to eat anything (Anderson 27). At 99lbs with bones sticking out, Lia says she has reached her first goal, but she is so caught up, she insists she can get lower (Anderson 52). She keeps telling herself “[she] is strong enough to do this” and the words “empty” and “strong” begin haunting her (Anderson 64). When Lia sleeps the words “Must. Not. Eat” echo in her head like her cat’s purrs echo at her bones (Anderson 185-7). With eating a mere “five hundred calories” this shows how much self control she has (Anderson 189). Lia continues to lose weight by excessively exercising, so that her muscles are in excruciating pain and “until sweat pools in [her] bellybutton (Anderson 103). This constant battle shows how food and exercise go hand in hand in this disorder and the ability to say no to food clearly outlines how much will power Lia has.
Like Lia by limiting her food intake Crystal is able to grasp a sense of control that she never had before. Along with this control she has, a feeling of success comes along when she loses 28lbs in three months (Renn 49). By exercising Crystal is able to escape reality and dive into her world where perfection equals happiness. Crystal often stays up until 3AM as she “can’t go to sleep until [she] [does] Elle first” a tiring workout which works all aspects of the body (Renn 59). Captured by a ‘demon’ she is so determined to lose weight that she “[joins] two gyms” so that nobody will suspect a thing; “[she] [has] an exercise addiction” (Renn71). Whenever she is not working or carving her vegetables into small pieces she is at the gym because for Crystal, “it‘s exercise or die” (Renn 79). Her diets consists of steamed vegetables, protein shakes, lettuces, sugar free gum and diet coke which is no more than 300 calories. Because of the lack of nutrients Crystal consumes, she often becomes sick, but still continues to do intense workouts at the gym for hours, which shows her dedication (Renn 82- 3). Crystal is unable to live without diet pills and uses them just to make it through her “eight hour workout” (Renn 86). With consuming only these foods and that amount of exercise Crystal loses “nearly half of her body weight” (Renn 115) .Crystal is so consumed that she does not care that she is unhealthy, as she wants to be a super model. Crystal’s ability to treat her body in such a harsh way highlights the amount of determination and will power she has. What people surround themselves with can leave a negative influence or impression upon them, leading them to act in a harmful way. In Anderson’s Wintergirls, Lia has a best friend Cassie, and their friendship is good. Cassie is bulimic and becomes the “roller coaster” while Lia is the “merry go- round frozen horse in one position” (Anderson 147-8). This intimidates Lia, so she wants to do something about it. Cassie is the person who decides that they are having a contest to see who can become skinnier (Anderson 179). Cassie dies from her eating disorder, but Lia lives on. Cassie’s soul stays by Lia’s side, but instead of having a positive impact on her; it is making Lia more destructive towards herself. As a coping mechanism Lia cuts herself as a way to cope with the whispers haunting her (Anderson 223). Although Cassie is Lia’s best friend, with constantly telling Lia she’ll be skinnier this discriminates her, forcing Lia to become even skinnier. Every step Lia takes closer to Cassie makes “[her] colder and weaker” (Anderson 132). Just because Cassie is always there for Lia, does not mean in the constructive ways. Cassie always tells people that they are twins, always there to ‘help’ one another. At the mall Lia holds the door so Cassie can “puke lunch” into the toilet and when trying on clothes they use the same dressing room to see the “skeleton shine” (Anderson 98-9). With each other’s help “[They are turning themselves] into wintergirls” (Anderson 99). Because Cassie is a mess and is “trying to kill [Lia]” she is not a good influence for Lia (Anderson 248). If not thinking about Cassie, Lia visits a country not known to many people. This country is known as a “whisperingsecretblog for girls like [her]” (Anderson 111). Lia is able to go there when she needs to receive ‘thinspiration’ from hundreds of girls who are confessing, screaming and ranting through their fingers. This emphasizes the fact the Cassie or inspiration blogs are not good influences for Lia.
A similar scenario occurs with Crystal, but instead of influence from a friend it is society and fashion’s influence affecting her. Although many people expect them to have a positive influence for everyone; meaning everyday people looking up to their favourite celebrity, or in fashion magazines as inspiration, they were not on Crystal’s side. For her to become a model she has to lose “a bit of weight” because in today life time it’s taboo for a model to be ‘fat’ (Renn 46). When Marilyn Monroe is around she is known as the sex symbol, but today’s girls need to be thin as “thinness equals goodness” (Renn 110). Fashion designers are forcing Crystal to become someone she is not, a thin lanky woman with no personality for her to pursue her dream as a model. She is being pressured by the other models around her to become thinner sending the message that “life doesn’t begin until [you are] thin” (Renn 129). At one point a scout screams “You’re so thin! You look incredible. You’re perfect,” which sends the message that if you are thin, then you are perfect (Renn 68). Crystal gains weight and suddenly the world ends. Producers snap at her and they ask if she has gained “twenty pounds in four days” which is an unnecessary remark (Renn 118). A size four and 130lbs, for a model that is like “430” which proves how much fashion and society don’t appreciate curvier women (Renn 118). Crystal says that the culture today does not “truly embrace fat women” which is a problem because that is sending the wrong message to young girls (Renn 211). Every where people are diet and exercise routines are being plastered over the front cover of magazines, sending the message that “perfect is the new normal” (Renn 218). The way media influences the way women should look in order to be beautiful is clearly identified in through Crystal’s experience.
There comes a point when the girls cannot go any farther, that they realize that beauty comes from within and when they are genuinely happy, that is when life is best. In Anderson’s book, Lia is determined to get better. This time there is no games to be played. For Lia the concept of eating is scary and the voices come back to her, “she does not let them” (Anderson 274). Lia also shows how motivated she is to get better when she takes the “second half of the bagel” (Anderson 275). Although this scares her, as she has no idea how much she weighs, she is working on it. By “not measuring in pounds, but in strength and sometimes smiles” proves how much happier she is (Anderson 275). Truly Lia’s will power and determination are emphasized, but in a more positive way, changing her demeanor and life forever.
In the same way, Crystal feels she cannot continue. When Crystal says that she “had no energy, felt no joy” proves how much the disorder had takes from her (Renn 93). Because she is “too hungry”, Crystal is unable to continue to run around with her heart pounding, feeling sicker and more hopeless every day, so as a result “[she] is done” (Renn 132). With Crystal writing a pledge towards herself to respect herself, shows how determined she is to recover. By not counting calories, or the constant weighing of herself, Crystal feels happier, as she is no longer treating herself in such a destructive manner. When Crystal is truly happy, she “has a spark” and is able to accomplish her dream of becoming a successful model (Renn 155). Crystal is able to show how perfection does not bring happiness and success, but truly being herself does.
As the girls struggle through their battles and come to a point that they cannot continue, and it is then that they realize that being skinny doe not mean beauty, being a size zero does not mean success and but that when genuinely accepting yourself that is where happiness can truly be found. The girls realize that they must be who they really are as it is impossible “trying to be perfect in a world that is so imperfect.”

Work Cited
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls. New York: Penguin Group, 2009. Print.

Renn, Crystal and Margorie Ingall. Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2009. Print