Healthy Body Images
What is body image? Body image is made up of a person’s beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and actions about their body and appearance. Body image is important because the way we see ourselves influences every aspect of our lives: our mental health, our physical health, how we take care of ourselves, how we interact with and relate to other people. People suffering from eating disorders often have negative or distorted views of themselves, their bodies, and their appearance. For example, a person with anorexia nervosa may perceive himself or herself to be “fat,” despite being significantly underweight, and a person of normal weight with bulimia may perceive himself or herself as overweight and in need of losing weight.
Body image distress may especially affect those suffering from eating disorders as people with eating disorders also have a tendency to place a high value on their body shape and weight when determining their own self-worth. However, it should be noted that the majority of people with body image concerns or body image dissatisfaction do not have eating disorders, and some individuals with eating disorders do not have body image concerns. Negative body image can also develop in relation to obesity, muscularity, sexual functioning, scars, visible facial or body differences, disability, body changes related to medical procedures, or disease.
A person with a healthy body image has an objective, realistic view of their body and appearance. They do not spend a large amount of time checking their body or perceived flaws, or comparing themselves to others. Having a healthy body image may mean that a person is able to engage in their social, sexual, work, or private lives without body image concerns getting in the way; Or, it may mean accepting some dissatisfaction with one’s body image or appearance and engaging in life’s day-to-day activities anyway, despite this concern.
Having a healthy body image may also include identifying the unrealistic and unattainable standards of beauty and thinness portrayed in the media, and avoiding making comparisons with these portrayals. While developing and fostering a healthy body image does not guarantee good mental or physical health, it can offer a layer of protection against poor self esteem, disordered eating patterns or yo-yo dieting, and, potentially, other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorder.
Body image distress may especially affect those suffering from eating disorders as people with eating disorders also have a tendency to place a high value on their body shape and weight when determining their own self-worth. However, it should be noted that the majority of people with body image concerns or body image dissatisfaction do not have eating disorders, and some individuals with eating disorders do not have body image concerns. Negative body image can also develop in relation to obesity, muscularity, sexual functioning, scars, visible facial or body differences, disability, body changes related to medical procedures, or disease.
A person with a healthy body image has an objective, realistic view of their body and appearance. They do not spend a large amount of time checking their body or perceived flaws, or comparing themselves to others. Having a healthy body image may mean that a person is able to engage in their social, sexual, work, or private lives without body image concerns getting in the way; Or, it may mean accepting some dissatisfaction with one’s body image or appearance and engaging in life’s day-to-day activities anyway, despite this concern.
Having a healthy body image may also include identifying the unrealistic and unattainable standards of beauty and thinness portrayed in the media, and avoiding making comparisons with these portrayals. While developing and fostering a healthy body image does not guarantee good mental or physical health, it can offer a layer of protection against poor self esteem, disordered eating patterns or yo-yo dieting, and, potentially, other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorder.
20 Ways to Love Your Body
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1. Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it. 2. Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often. 3. Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament. 4. Create a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments. 5. Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person. 6. Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy. 7. Wear comfortable clothes that you like, that express your personal style, and that feel good to your body. 8. Count your blessings, not your blemishes. 9. Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance. Try one! 10. Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy. 11. Consider this: your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months. Your body is extraordinary, begin to respect and appreciate it. |
12. Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.
13. Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day. 14. Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good. Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Freedom. 15. Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body. Loving your body means you get to feel like that again, even in this body, at this age. 16. Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself without mentioning your appearance. Add to it daily! 17. Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, I’m beautiful inside and out. 18. Search for the beauty in the world and in yourself. 19. Consider that, Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way. 20. Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty. |
Body Image "Will"-Power
1. Twice a day, everyday, I WILL ask myself: Am I benefiting from focusing on what I believe are flaws in my body weight or shape?
2. I WILL think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or better. I will repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape to someone else’s.
3. I WILL spend less and less time in front of mirrors especially when they are making me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about my body.
4. I WILL exercise for the joy of feeling my body move and grow stronger. I will not exercise simply to lose weight, purge fat from my body, or to make-up for calories I have eaten.
5. I WILL participate in activities that I enjoy, even if they call attention to my weight and shape. I will constantly remind myself that I deserve to do things I enjoy, like dancing, swimming, etc., no matter what my shape or size is!
6. I WILL refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that I do not like but wear simply because they divert attention from my weight or shape. I will wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me feel at home in my body.
7. I WILL list 5 to10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence, or creativity. I will repeat these to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.
8. I WILL practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do. Not for how slender, or well put together they appear.
9. I WILL surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks.
10. I WILL treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active, and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams! I WILL choose to take care of myself and my body!
2. I WILL think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or better. I will repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape to someone else’s.
3. I WILL spend less and less time in front of mirrors especially when they are making me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about my body.
4. I WILL exercise for the joy of feeling my body move and grow stronger. I will not exercise simply to lose weight, purge fat from my body, or to make-up for calories I have eaten.
5. I WILL participate in activities that I enjoy, even if they call attention to my weight and shape. I will constantly remind myself that I deserve to do things I enjoy, like dancing, swimming, etc., no matter what my shape or size is!
6. I WILL refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that I do not like but wear simply because they divert attention from my weight or shape. I will wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me feel at home in my body.
7. I WILL list 5 to10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence, or creativity. I will repeat these to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.
8. I WILL practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do. Not for how slender, or well put together they appear.
9. I WILL surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks.
10. I WILL treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active, and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams! I WILL choose to take care of myself and my body!
Learning to Like Yourself
Everyone has something they'd like to change about their physical appearance. Whether you worry about you height, weight, hair, skin, or something else, how do you learn to accept yourself for the person that you are? That can be especially hard for teenagers who are bombarded with messages on what they’re supposed to look like. Obsessing over weight can sometimes spiral out of control. Millions of American teens have eating disorders. Meet several who are trying to regain control of their lives and their health.
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I. Confidence Boost
Teenagers have to contend with many issues that affect their self-esteem—from academics to social, emotional, and physical concerns. Meet several teens who have found that accepting themselves for who they are is the first step to lasting self-confidence. II. Eating Disorders Eating disorders can lead to many different health problems and even death. mind out what can lead to these conditions, how some teens are regaining their health, and how they are learning to feel good about themselves again. |
Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is an illness that causes serious disturbances to your everyday diet, such as eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food, but at some point, the urge to eat less or more spiraled out of control. Severe distress or concern about body weight or shape may also signal an eating disorder. Common eating disorders are listed below.
Anorexia Nervosa
Definition: An eating disorder characterized by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and excessive weight loss.
Context: A person with anorexia nervosa may have an unrealistic body image and see fat where there is none.
Binge Eating Disorder
Definition: A medical syndrome in which people eat an unusually large amount of food even when they are not really hungry and continue to eat past the point where they are uncomfortable.
Context: A person with a binge eating disorder does not care about the taste of food, dust about getting food into his or her stomach.
Bulemia Nervosa
Definition: An eating disorder characterized by compulsive overeating followed by self-induced purging either by vomiting or by abusing laxatives.
Context: Bulimia nervosa can cause a number of health problems including osteoporosis and tooth decay.
Definition: An eating disorder characterized by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and excessive weight loss.
Context: A person with anorexia nervosa may have an unrealistic body image and see fat where there is none.
Binge Eating Disorder
Definition: A medical syndrome in which people eat an unusually large amount of food even when they are not really hungry and continue to eat past the point where they are uncomfortable.
Context: A person with a binge eating disorder does not care about the taste of food, dust about getting food into his or her stomach.
Bulemia Nervosa
Definition: An eating disorder characterized by compulsive overeating followed by self-induced purging either by vomiting or by abusing laxatives.
Context: Bulimia nervosa can cause a number of health problems including osteoporosis and tooth decay.
Extreme Measures
In a country obsessed with having a perfect body, the pressure starts early. Once thought to affect only adolescent girls, the desire for a beautiful body influences kids as young as seven and has moved into boys’ locker rooms.
What are the harmful consequences of taking EXTREME MEASURES?
What are the harmful consequences of taking EXTREME MEASURES?
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I. The Monster Within
Society’s view of the “perfect body” is featured, and how the quest for it relates to eating disorders. The emotional impact and long-term health risks of eating disorders and extreme exercise are described. II. Outside Influences This segment explores problems related to the use of steroids and creatine, two common supplements used for improving physical and athletic performance. Long- and short-term side effects are explained. III. Self Image Cheryl Haworth, an Olympic weightlifter, tells about learning to accept her body, rather than trying to change it. She explains how being larger than average makes her feel strong and beautiful and why she is popular at school. |
Treatment for Eating Disorders
Adequate nutrition, reducing excessive exercise, and stopping purging behaviors are the foundations of treatment. Specific forms of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, and medication are effective for many eating disorders. However, in more chronic cases, specific treatments have not yet been identified. Treatment plans often are tailored to individual needs and may include one or more of the following:
Treating anorexia nervosa
Treating anorexia nervosa involves three components:
Different forms of psychotherapy, including individual, group, and family-based, can help address the psychological reasons for the illness. In a therapy called the Maudsley approach, parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa assume responsibility for feeding their child. This approach appears to be very effective in helping people gain weight and improve eating habits and moods. Shown to be effective in case studies and clinical trials, the Maudsley approach is discussed in some guidelines and studies for treating eating disorders in younger, nonchronic patients.
Other research has found that a combined approach of medical attention and supportive psychotherapy designed specifically for anorexia nervosa patients is more effective than psychotherapy alone. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the person involved and his or her situation. Unfortunately, no specific psychotherapy appears to be consistently effective for treating adults with anorexia nervosa. However, research into new treatment and prevention approaches is showing some promise. One study suggests that an online intervention program may prevent some at-risk women from developing an eating disorder. Also, specialized treatment of anorexia nervosa may help reduce the risk of death.
Treating bulimia nervosa
As with anorexia nervosa, treatment for bulimia nervosa often involves a combination of options and depends upon the needs of the individual. To reduce or eliminate binge-eating and purging behaviors, a patient may undergo nutritional counseling and psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or be prescribed medication. CBT helps a person focus on his or her current problems and how to solve them. The therapist helps the patient learn how to identify distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns, recognize, and change inaccurate beliefs, relate to others in more positive ways, and change behaviors accordingly.
CBT that is tailored to treat bulimia nervosa is effective in changing binge-eating and purging behaviors and eating attitudes. Therapy may be individual or group-based.
Some antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), which is the only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating bulimia nervosa, may help patients who also have depression or anxiety. Fluoxetine also appears to help reduce binge-eating and purging behaviors, reduce the chance of relapse, and improve eating attitudes.
Treating binge-eating disorder
Treatment options for binge-eating disorder are similar to those used to treat bulimia nervosa. Psychotherapy, especially CBT that is tailored to the individual, has been shown to be effective. Again, this type of therapy can be offered in an individual or group environment.
Fluoxetine and other antidepressants may reduce binge-eating episodes and help lessen depression in some patients.
- Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy
- Medical care and monitoring
- Nutritional counseling
- Medications.
Treating anorexia nervosa
Treating anorexia nervosa involves three components:
- Restoring the person to a healthy weight
- Treating the psychological issues related to the eating disorder
- Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to insufficient eating and preventing relapse.
Different forms of psychotherapy, including individual, group, and family-based, can help address the psychological reasons for the illness. In a therapy called the Maudsley approach, parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa assume responsibility for feeding their child. This approach appears to be very effective in helping people gain weight and improve eating habits and moods. Shown to be effective in case studies and clinical trials, the Maudsley approach is discussed in some guidelines and studies for treating eating disorders in younger, nonchronic patients.
Other research has found that a combined approach of medical attention and supportive psychotherapy designed specifically for anorexia nervosa patients is more effective than psychotherapy alone. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the person involved and his or her situation. Unfortunately, no specific psychotherapy appears to be consistently effective for treating adults with anorexia nervosa. However, research into new treatment and prevention approaches is showing some promise. One study suggests that an online intervention program may prevent some at-risk women from developing an eating disorder. Also, specialized treatment of anorexia nervosa may help reduce the risk of death.
Treating bulimia nervosa
As with anorexia nervosa, treatment for bulimia nervosa often involves a combination of options and depends upon the needs of the individual. To reduce or eliminate binge-eating and purging behaviors, a patient may undergo nutritional counseling and psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or be prescribed medication. CBT helps a person focus on his or her current problems and how to solve them. The therapist helps the patient learn how to identify distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns, recognize, and change inaccurate beliefs, relate to others in more positive ways, and change behaviors accordingly.
CBT that is tailored to treat bulimia nervosa is effective in changing binge-eating and purging behaviors and eating attitudes. Therapy may be individual or group-based.
Some antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), which is the only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating bulimia nervosa, may help patients who also have depression or anxiety. Fluoxetine also appears to help reduce binge-eating and purging behaviors, reduce the chance of relapse, and improve eating attitudes.
Treating binge-eating disorder
Treatment options for binge-eating disorder are similar to those used to treat bulimia nervosa. Psychotherapy, especially CBT that is tailored to the individual, has been shown to be effective. Again, this type of therapy can be offered in an individual or group environment.
Fluoxetine and other antidepressants may reduce binge-eating episodes and help lessen depression in some patients.