The National Eating Disorders Association states some shocking statistics about body image. Around 80 percent of women are unhappy with the way they look. Themedguru finds out how badly negative body image can hurt...
About seven million girls/women and around one million boys/men suffer from eating disorders. It has been seen that at any given time around 25 percent of men and around 45 percent of women are on a diet. The dieting industry in America amounts to 40 billion US dollars. This gives an idea about the obsession with the perfect body.
Why Is A Positive Body Image Important?
The way one feels about himself or herself is very important for self esteem and self confidence. People need to be proud of themselves to feel worthwhile. Everyone needs self confidence. When a person has high confidence and self-esteem, he or she is more open to ideas. They make friends quickly and want to enjoy life more.
For children and adolescents, the way they feel about their body is often the factor that affects their self esteem the most. Teenagers often attach much more importance to their looks than is healthy, often hurting their self esteem.
A poor body image can actually lead to depressiondefine and sometimes alienation from others. Eating disorders and emotional distress can come up. A negative body image can cause shame and anxiety about one’s body. Excessive dieting leads to medical problems like anorexia.
An individual with a positive Self-Esteem would be completely comfortable with the way he or she looked. This would boost the self confidence which in turn would help in making the person take on challenges effectively. A person with positive self esteem and body image will make friends immediately and be comfortable anywhere.
Factors That Influence Self-Esteem
The body goes through a number of changes during puberty. As most of the peer group would also be going through the same period, each teenager tends to compare himself/herself with others. It is actually impossible to compare because everyone experiences different changes.
Girls might feel they need to be as skinny as possible while boys might feel that they are not muscular and well built.
Other Influences
Today, a child is far more exposed to the media than before. By the time puberty sets in, teenagers already have an idea about the kind of look that is “ideal” for them. As they grow up, the media plays a larger role in their body image and confidence.
Sometimes, the way family members react to the way a person looks can also affect body image. The comments of family members and friends affect at a deeper level than is visible. If a parent spends more time criticizing a child’s appearance rather than building up his confidence, it can certainly affect the ability of the person to develop a positive self esteem.
Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudices can also let people become subjected to comments about appearance.
Changing Body Image for the Better
Everyone wants to look and feel their best at all times. However, a healthy body image can be developed simply by changing the way you think about your body. Also, a healthy Lifestyle can do wonders for the body.
Healthy food can help develop healthy skin and hair. Being Healthy can also help increase the energy and help manage stress.
A few lifestyle changes such as avoiding junk food, staying active and avoiding stress can make a large difference. However, what counts the most is attitude. Let's face it, every man cannot be a Greek god and every woman cannot be Venus. Before looking for acceptance and validation from others, it is crucial to accept yourself the way your are. By all means, improve the things that can be improved, like losing or gaining weight. But be reasonable.
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