Chapter
1
ISSUES
: Body Confidence
Chapter 1: Body Image
1
Body Image
What is body image?
B
ody image is the perception
that a person has of their
physical self and the
thoughts and feelings that result
from that perception.
These feelings can be positive,
negative or both and are influenced
by individual and environmental
factors.
The four aspects of body image:
1.
How you see your body is your
perceptual body image. This is not
always a correct representation
of how you actually look. For
example, a person may perceive
themselves as overweight when
they are actually underweight.
2.
The way you feel about your body
is your affective body image. This
relates to the amount of satisfaction
or dissatisfaction you feel about
your shape, weight and individual
body parts.
3.
The way you think about your
body is your cognitive body image.
This can lead to preoccupation
with body shape and weight. For
example, some people believe they
will feel better about themselves if
they are thinner or more muscular.
4.
Behaviours in which you engage
as a result of your body image
encompass
your
behavioural
body image. When a person is
dissatisfied with the way they
look, they may isolate themselves
because they feel bad about their
appearance or employ destructive
behaviours
(e.g.
excessive
exercising, disordered eating) as a
means to change appearance.
Why is positive body image
important?
Positive body image occurs
when a person is able to accept,
appreciate and respect their body.
Positive body image is important
because it is one of the protective
factors which can make a person
more resilient to eating disorders.
In fact, the most effective eating
disorder prevention programmes
use a health promotion approach,
focusing on building self-esteem
and positive body image, and a
balanced approach to nutrition and
physical activity. A positive body
image will improve:
Ö
Self-esteem
, which dictates
how a person feels about
themselves and can infiltrate
every aspect of life, and
contribute to happiness and
wellbeing.
Ö
Self-acceptance
,
making
a person more likely to feel
comfortable and happy with the
way they look and less likely
to feel impacted by unrealistic
images in the media and
societal pressures to look a
certain way.
Ö
Healthy
outlook
and
behaviours
, as it is easier
to lead a balanced lifestyle
with healthier attitudes and
practices relating to food and
exercise when you are in tune
with, and respond to the needs
of your body.
What causes body
dissatisfaction?
When a person has negative
thoughts and feelings about his or
her own body, body dissatisfaction
can develop. Body dissatisfaction
is an internal process but can be
influenced by several external
factors. For example, family,
friends, acquaintances, teachers
and the media all have an impact on
how a person sees and feels about
themselves and their appearance.
Individuals in appearance-oriented
environments or those who receive
negative feedback about their
appearance are at an increased risk
of body dissatisfaction.
One of the most common external
contributors to body dissatisfaction
is the media. People of all ages are
bombarded with images through TV,
magazines, Internet and advertising.
These images often promote
unrealistic, unobtainable and highly
stylised appearance ideals which
have been fabricated by stylists,
art teams and digital manipulation
and cannot be achieved in real life.
Those who feel they don’t measure
up in comparison to these images,
can experience intense body
dissatisfaction which is damaging
to their psychological and physical
wellbeing.
The following factors make some
people more likely to develop a
negative body image than others:
Ö
Age
– body image is frequently
shaped during late childhood
and adolescence but body
dissatisfaction
can
affect
people of all ages and is as
prevalent in midlife as young
adulthood in women
Ö
Gender
– adolescent girls
are more prone to body
dissatisfaction than adolescent
boys; however, the rate of
body dissatisfaction in males
is rapidly approaching that of
females
Ö
Low
self-esteem
and/or
depression
Ö
Personality traits
– people with
perfectionist tendencies, high
achievers, ‘black and white’
thinkers, those who internalise
beauty ideals, and those who
often compare themselves
to others, are at higher risk of
developing body dissatisfaction
Ö
Teasing
– people who are
teased about appearance/
weight, regardless of actual
