In
an ideal world, we would all be content with our bodies and wouldn’t feel the
need to compare or criticise ourselves (or others) based on physical
appearance. Realistically though, it is common to engage in negative body talk
and this has almost become normal for men and women especially to openly talk
about the dissatisfaction with their physical appearance. Negative body image
is something that we all may experience from time to time and has been
something I personally have needed to overcome, especially leading up to the
summer months.
Body Image
Body
image is a complex phenomenon that involves how an individual perceives, thinks
and feels about their physical self. Holding a negative body image can affect a
person’s sense of well-being and can be related to many mental health
conditions including anxiety, depression, social anxiety, body dysmorphic
disorder and eating disorders.
Sociocultural Influences
Due
to societal expectations of what is considered beautiful or attractive and the
media being saturated with particular representations of ‘healthy men &
women’ and ‘#fitspo’, it is no surprise that people tend to perceive their
bodies negatively and often engage in negative body talk. For example, if you
were to search ‘healthy women’ into google images, a particular representation
of this would appear that might not include the different body shapes that can
also be considered ‘healthy’.
A
recent Melbourne study of more than 1100 Australian adults found that women
felt worse about their bodies after viewing pictures of super thin models. This
is often really hard to escape in today’s society where we are constantly
exposed to this particular body image through a range of multiple communication
mediums. Both men and women can be negatively affected by viewing these
idealised images and can unfortunately cause them to develop unrealistic body
expectations that may leave them dissatisfied with their appearance. This
dissatisfaction can then result in a negative cycle involving low self-esteem,
depression leading to dieting, binge eating or excessively exercising to
achieve or maintain these body image ideals.
BMI
Body
Mass Index (BMI) is the measurement that is commonly used for defining whether
a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. This measurement
has however been heavily criticised for being an inaccurate way of measuring a
healthy weight range by not taking into account muscle, bone structure or
different body shapes. For example, I am 165cm in height, weigh 73kg and a size
12 (average Australian woman size). I exercise 4 times a week and maintain a
healthy diet. According to the BMI system, surprisingly, I am considered
‘overweight’. Encouraging individuals to lose weight to fit into this expected
normal weight range can be harmful and result in unhealthy lifestyle choices
including extreme dieting, substance abuse, over exercising and development of
eating disorders.
Negative body talk
Even
though you may expect only teenage girls to engage in negative body talk and
body shaming, it actually exists among various ages, all genders, ethnicities,
and body sizes. In a National Institute of Health study, it was found that 25%
of males and 90% of females constantly engage in negative body talk. Negative
body talk involves voicing concerns or talking negatively about our appearance
in relation to weight, body parts or comparing our bodies to others. You would
be surprised what is considered negative body talk and how often we may
unconsciously engage in it on a day to day basis. Even asking someone if they
have lost weight, which is meant in a positive way can be negative as it is
reinforcing the stereotypical view that everyone should aspire to be skinny and
lose weight.
How to recognise and avoid negative body talk
Notice
your inner critic
Try and be aware and acknowledge when you engage in negative body talk and try
to turn down the volume on those negative thoughts and counter them with your
strengths even if they are not body related
Avoid
body chat
Stop engaging in conversations where you feel the need to talk negatively about
yours or other people’s physical appearance
Change
your language
In other words; remove the word fat from your vocab
Minimise
exposure to idealised images presented in the media
Even though it may be very difficult, try and avoid following pages, magazines,
blogs, etc. that emphasise unrealistic body images or engage in negative body
talk/fat shaming. Attempt to seek out and follow media that reinforces positive
self-image
Drop
the comparisons
Try to stop comparing yourself to others or idealised versions of yourself and
instead focus on your individuality and strengths
Adopt
healthier habits
Find a type of exercise you enjoy and aim to reframe your thinking in a way
that you are exercising because you love your body and want to be healthy
instead for the sole purpose of losing weight and being skinny or muscular
It
is important to recognise and acknowledge when we might be engaging in negative
body talk and realise that we do have the power to not engage in it. Hopefully
this article will encourage us to think twice before engaging in negative body
talk and avoid criticising ourselves and others based on physical appearance as
steps to ultimately possess a positive body image.
Resources
“What the average Australian woman’s body looks like”,
written by Jen Kelly (Herald Sun)
www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/what-the-average-australian-womans-body-looks-like/news-story/f3e05ebee9013b3d7a42d701eda12656
“Body Mass Index (BMI)”
information (BetterHealth channel)
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/body-mass-index-bmi
“Why the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a Poor Measure of Your
Health”, written by Peter Janiszewski
www.blogs.plos.org/obesitypanacea/2012/02/10/why-the-body-mass-index-bmi-is-a-poor-measure-of-your-health/
“Body talk: use the power of your words to feel great”
(Dove self-esteem project)
www.selfesteem.dove.ca/en/Articles/Written/Body_talk_use_the_power_of_your_words_to_feel_great.aspx
“How Do I Improve My Body Image?”, written by Mary E.
Pritchard (PsychologyToday)
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/diet-is-4-letter-word/201402/how-do-i-improve-my-body-image
Written by Amelia, ADAVIC Volunteer