Fri, 05/22/2009 - 01:00 — Jennifer Pollard

Body Image And You

 

Have you ever found yourself saying things like: “My legs are too thick”, “My behind is too flat”, “My breasts are too small” or far worse: “I hate how I look” or “I hate my body”?

 

Body image, simply put, is how we view our physical bodies and this can involve our attitudes, feelings and beliefs, and what we say to ourselves and others about our bodies.


The value of the body

 

Before we leave our homes each day, we do things for and with our bodies. We bathe, groom our hair and skin, we dress, we eat (whether in keeping with good nutrition or not) and some of us skip breakfast because we’re in a rush. Additionally, we may or may not exercise depending on whether time permits, whether we feel lazy or motivated or whether we have a friend who might spur us on to keep fit. There are any number of factors that play a role in what we do for or against our own bodies and ultimately our overall well-being.

 

Have you thanked your body for what it has allowed you to be and do? Each one of us perhaps need to ask ourselves how we see our body.

 

Your body is the means through which you express who you are, the means through which you create, share and give to others, and articulate on the outside what is within the heart, mind, soul, the spirit. Think of the value of expressing affection and encouragement to a loved one through a hug. Think of writing your thoughts down to express your intelligence. Think of using your body to express the rich creativity of your mind through dance, song, visual art, or architectural drawings. Think of using your body through your hands, to fix a complicated piece of equipment or solve an engineering problem that might be a part of your future career. The possibilities are endless.

 

Your body allows you to actualize what is rich, beautiful and creative within you. The ultimate highest value of the body is in seeing it as a temple to be treated with love and respect for the deep multi-faceted tapestry of you that it houses within it and for how it allows you to express your unique and valuable self.


Influences on body image

 

The factors that have an impact on the development of an individual’s body image include:

 

  • Rigidity or overemphasis on a person’s diet and body types as expressed by parents and later on, peer groups.

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  • Implicit or explicit comparisons between siblings and/or individuals within a peer group.

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  • Changes at puberty, wherein some girls feel embarrassed about their maturing bodies and others wish that they were developing as quickly as other girls.

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  • Media images from magazines or music videos, ostensibly with a greater impact from the videos where the optimal combination of slimness to curves and breast size is emphasized and seen as highly attractive to males, as the videos play out their “favorable” response to the scantily clad female forms.

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  • Sexual abuse which may lead to a deeply felt sense of the body and the ultimately the self as being dirty or damaged and in which self-hatred including hatred for the body, may be acutely experienced.

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    Body-image distortions are part of the symptom-pattern of eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Which is not of course to say that everyone who has body-image challenges has an eating disorder or will develop one.

     

    In brief, anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening disorder in which people starve themselves or severely restrict intake of food, a central feature being a disturbance in perception relative to the body’s weight and shape.

     

    A summary definition of bulimia indicates episodes of excessive eating done in secret followed by the use of inappropriate means of weight control. These include purging through vomiting, laxative abuse, and excessive exercise. Some bulimic individuals go through periods of anorexia.

     

    Taking charge of your body and its image

     

  • Change or adjust how you see your body if your view is negative – appreciate your body for all that it has allowed you to do and for all that it will allow you to do Understand that there are individual differences in the pace at which, and the ways in which, physical maturity develops – own your body and accept it.

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  • Ensure that your body is in optimal health – have your regular visits to the doctor which may help you establish whether you have a healthy body weight, whether there are things you can do to optimize your body’s health and energy levels and so on; see your dentist regularly; maintain a well-balanced exercise programme that involves at least some enjoyable activities and which is designed to gradually increase the level of challenge rather than being too intense too soon and risking injury. Such a plan might involve, for example, dealing with unhealthy weight gain through changing eating habits and incorporating exercise. Consultation with your doctor and nutritionist would be invaluable to give some assurance that you’re on the right path.
    A second example may be perhaps dealing with unhealthy hair, nails and skin. These may also indicate a need to change one’s diet and add particular supplements. Whatever the health challenge, it is best to seek professional advice in creating a plan to deal with it. Creating a plan to deal with any issue helps to give you a sense of control which will also enhance your overall self-esteem.

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  • Dress to suit body type - relatives or friends of similar body type who dress attractively can help to advise you. In terms of your diet of magazines and other media, reduce your exposure to unrealistic images and seek out material which relates to your overall development, balancing articles that relate to the inner person with those that relate to the outer-person.

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  • Professional help may be needed for those experiencing low self-esteem, depression, or eating disorders as a consequence of poor body image; also, certainly for those for whom poor body image may be part of a constellation of symptoms arising from sexual abuse.

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  • Surround yourself with people who appreciate you for who you are on the inside and who provide loving support for your goals whether they relate to your health, your academic progress or the development of your gifts and talents.

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