What is Body Image?
Our body image is the way we perceive our body and the beliefs we hold in relation to our weight, height and other physical features.
A positive body image comes from acceptance of and satisfaction with your physical features. Positive body image has been found to be associated with less depression, healthier eating habits and higher self esteem.
A negative body image on the other hand refers to disapproval of a particular physical feature or your general physique. A poor body image can result in a decline in your physical and psychological well being. In more extreme cases it can adversely impact your social and professional life.
Causes of a Negative Body Image
Negative perceptions of our body are common in the general population with 20-40% of women and 10-30% of men being affected. There are a plethora of causes that can influence different people in different ways and to different extents. Some of the most common causes and highlighted below-
1. Childhood experiences: This experience can range from someone commenting on a certain aspect of our bodies to being bullied in school for the way we looked. These insecurities can carry into adulthood and result in a poor body image.
2. Self-imposed pressure: Many times we compare ourselves to family members or peers and decide we do not live up to their physical standard. It is important to remember that this is a subjective view we hold about ourselves and in no way reflects the actual opinion of other people. Other times we set unrealistic standards for ourselves that do not relate to or compare with the people around us.
3. Social networking sites: Idealised body types and rise in fitness or lifestyle accounts on online platforms is a large contributor to body dissatisfaction for both adolescents and adults. ‘Self related’ accounts like model or celebrity accounts cause greater disapproval of our physical features than ‘appearance neutral’ accounts like travel. So social media as a whole is not a contributor but rather that kind of content we consume.
4. Body dissatisfaction in others: When we are surrounded by people who have negative body images of themselves, it becomes harder for us to be appreciative of our own bodies. For younger children, a parent repeatedly expressing disapproval of their own bodies makes the child feel like this is the norm. As we grow older peers may begin to have a greater effect.
Combating Body Image Issues
Depending on the cause there are multiple things you can do to improve your body image.
1. Avoiding triggers: There are many possible triggers but common examples are refraining from weighing yourself as often or even distancing yourself from people that make you feel poorly about your body. Social media can also be considered a trigger for many of us. If you don’t want to take a complete break from social media, consider using platforms that only support communication (like whatsapp) rather than the consumption of potentially harmful content (like instagram or facebook). Minimising the time spent on these sites until you feel more positive is also helpful.
2. Share: It can help to open up about your negative body perceptions to people you trust. Hearing yourself vocalise these opinions and subsequent reassurance from family and friends can help combat a poor body image.
3. Reminders: A good exercise to practise is to write down features of your body or even your personality that you do like. It helps to write these affirmations on post-it notes and stick them on trigger objects such as mirrors or weighing scales.
We should remember that our bodies serve us well and allow us to live and thrive. It is important to treat them with kindness. If you begin to feel that your dissatisfaction with your body is impacting your regular life, do not hesitate to speak to a professional.
By Aashna Patel