This is the first blog post of a two part series. Next up: Part 2- Improve Your Body Image: 10 Actions to Take to Help Now.
You weren’t born with body image distress.
In fact, you were born with curiosity, fascination, and great pleasure in experiencing your body. Most likely you grew older and began to confront different factors that, when combined, lead to body dissatisfaction, which can often to evolve into full blown body hatred that can take over your life.
Please understand that poor body image is not your fault- and similarly is not the fault of any single person, and likely is the result of the combination of many factors and cultural norms, over a period of time.
Some of the factors that may contribute to your body image are:
Family
The environment in which you grew up (and exist in today) plays big part in your sense of self and body image. Family beliefs, behaviors around food and body-talk, and comments made about your body can make an impact over time.
Peers
The opinions of friends, colleagues, and classmates have a significant affect on your self-perception and body image. Any pressures, behaviors around food, like dieting, and judgements about body shape from peers are a big deal in your development throughout your entire lifespan. Teasing and bullying about body size/shape is especially harmful.
Teachers
Because they are in a position of power and spend a lot of time with you- teachers, professors, and mentors are in a strong position to influence your body image, particularly during the earlier years of life. Any overt or covert implications that fat is bad, talking about dieting behaviors, or verbalizing judgements (positive or negative) regarding a person’s body shape can affect your body image. Teachers are also important role models, and how they speak about themselves, their bodies, and their food can inform the body image and food behaviors of people of all ages.
Health Care Professionals
Doctors, nurses, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and any other health practitioners in your life have a huge impact on your self-perception regarding health status, body image, and food beliefs/behaviors. Any directives to lose weight (dieting protocols, weight loss medications, any messages about weight loss in general) can imply that your body is somehow wrong, broken, inferior, the enemy, and should be “fixed” or manipulated. Because of the immense power that physicians have, they can unintentionally do much harm to your body image and self-worth, and set you up for a lifetime of body image distres.
Media
The constant inundation of images of bodies that fit the cultural ideal of beauty causes great harm and suffering to people in all body types. Furthermore, these images are often altered behind the scenes, giving the false impression that “perfection,” or ultra thinness, or being “toned” is not only attainable, but necessary to matter in this world. It may feel impossible to resist comparing yourself to these models and actresses, leading you down a dangerous path of body dissatisfaction, body hatred, and pressure to lose weight at all costs.
Do your best to step out of the “blame game” and focus on the things that are within your power and control. You may never be able to change another person’s behavior or mind about body size, but you can certainly take actions to begin your own healing.
Eating Disorders and Compulsive Exercise
Body image work is a huge component of eating disorder treatment and recovery from chronic dieting and compulsive exercise. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, disordered eating, extreme dieting, or overexercise, it is vital that you reach out for professional help.
10 Actions to Help Improve Your Body Image:
Improving your body image is about changing the way you see and experience your body, not about changing your physical body shape or size. The pursuit of weight loss typically creates and exacerbates body image distress, paradoxically. You can read more about this on our blog.
Each of the following 10 Actions is a non-linear process that takes time and effort, and often requires the guidance and support of a specialized professional. Please reach out for help if desired or needed.
Clothes
Your body deserves to feel comfortable as it is right now. This includes underwear, too. Clothing that is too tight can cause body image distress, as you are constantly tugging, adjusting, and hyper-aware of restricting materials against your skin. Put clothes that don’t fit the body you have now far away from your sight (preferably get them out of your home- resell them, trade them, or donate them), and if you are financially able, find clothes that you like and that feel good on your body.
Keeping old clothes that no longer fit isn’t doing anything good in your life. Tell yourself that the size of your clothes cannot tell you who you are or what you are worth (see #6).
The Scale
Your scale is a tool of oppression and ultimately exacerbates body dissatisfaction, food obsession, and dysfunctional eating behaviors. Your weight cannot tell you how healthy you are, if you are mentally well, or who you are in this world. It simply measures gravitational force to the earth. Think about it: what happens when you see the number? Does it define your mood, your day, your sense of self? You can begin to stop giving the scale so much power over your life. It starts with weighing yourself less, or preferably, never. Get rid of the scale- or if you can’t quite do that yet, put it out of sight.
Weighing yourself to motivate controlled eating and weight loss almost always fails, and erodes self-esteem over time.
The Mirror
Practice looking at yourself in the mirror without self-recrimination. This means that rather than saying cruel things about your shape or size, you practice describing your body in more neutral terms, and focusing on the myriad functions of your body. While it will take some time and effort to experience good feelings in the mirror, you can begin to replace negative messages with more objective expressions.
For example, rather than calling yourself “gross,” “disgusting,” “too fat,” or any other words depicting your perceived flaws (i.e., perceived unacceptability), try imagining yourself as an anthropologist or scientist- “I am rounder in the stomach and more angular in the hips. My stomach protects my vital organs, and makes energy from food like magic without any conscious effort.”
Remember, “yelling” at yourself only increases body image distress and erodes self-esteem. Mirror work is a complex process that takes time, courage, and effort. Please reach out for support!
Photos
As you become more familiar with your objective body shape in the mirror, you will find that photos of yourself become a bit less shocking and distressing. However, photos may always be a point of discomfort. When you catch yourself judging your shape and being hyper-critical of your body size in pictures, practice noticing the expression on your face and reliving the moment captured. Who is pictured with you and how do you feel towards them? Notice the joy in your smile, or the fun you were having in that day.
Make conscious efforts to stop colluding with the cultural voice of body hatred and fat phobia, and remember that you are so much more than your body shape. See more than your appearance; say to yourself, “I matter in this world and my appearance is the least interesting thing about me.”
Want to know the rest of my tips for improving body image? Continue reading here: Part 2- Improve Your Body Image: 10 Actions to Take to Help Now.
I will also explore the concepts of thin privilege, challenge the magic of thinness, and redefine health and wellness. See you there!
Learn More About Body Image Therapy here.
Get Specialized Support
The ACED team is an inclusive group of specialized therapists and dietitians who can help you to heal and get back to living your live.
We’re here to help. Schedule your complimentary 15-20 minute phone consultation to find out if the ACED team could be a good fit for you. If you’re ready, we’ll match you with your dream team.
Reference: Beyond a Shadow of a Diet, second edition. Judith Matz & Ellen Frankel. Routledge, 2014.
Legal disclaimer: The ACED team is comprised of mental health professionals licensed to practice in the state of Texas. Reading our blog does not create a therapist-client relationship between us. Our blog is designed for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for professional care. The contents of this blog should not be used to diagnose or treat illness of any kind, and before you rely on any information presented here you should consult with a trusted healthcare professional. If you are currently experiencing a mental health emergency please call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.