Memoirs of a Geisha

I watched Memoirs of a Geisha last night after having finished the novel last month. I found myself intrigued by the harsh conventions surrounding beauty for purchase as distinctive from prostitution. I suppose we have similar restrictions on behavior and appearance in the US today. Our images of beauty are often artificially enhanced by computer touch ups that alter reality to make it just a little more attractive than what nature provides. I often read that this kind of beauty enhancement as harmful to women when it makes them dissatisfied with their normal, healthy bodies. At the same time, I read that men and women are becoming monumentally overweight in the US. Do both sexes despair of reaching some kind of idealized perfection and simply give up pursuing any kind of physical excellence? Does overeating provide a kind of emotional release from the stress of not meeting the ideals? Or is lazy pleasure-seeking something so uncomplicated that it doesn't need an explanation. I wonder if we are too hard on ourselves or too easygoing in our acceptance of flaws. Both the movie and novel were thoughtful and easy to relate to our current way of life.