What is body image?
Body image is a multifaceted construct referring to thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about our body and how we relate to these thoughts and feelings. This may include thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about our body shape, weight, size, gender identity, and what our body can and can’t do. The emotions people experience towards their bodies may be pleasant or unpleasant. People's thoughts towards their bodies may be judgemental and critical, neutral and accepting, or loving and appreciative.
Why is body image an issue?
· 90% of adolescents have some degree of body image concern.
· Almost 70% of young people have experienced bullying based on their appearance.
· 50% of young people don’t speak kindly about their bodies.
· Over 60% of young people wish they were thinner or more muscular.
· Almost 60% of young people don’t speak to someone when they feel bad about their body or appearance.
What influences body image?
Learning history
Our life experiences and learning history can shape our beliefs about our body and can influence how we relate to our body. We receive messages every day about what is considered socially acceptable and unacceptable. The narrow perspective of body image ideals that are typically portrayed in the media can add rigidity to patterns of binary thinking and limits the acceptance, inclusion, and expression of normal difference and diversity that naturally exists. Nobody expects a gum tree to look like a wattle tree or all gum trees to look the same!
What is binary thinking?
A thought process by which the mind considers there are only two possible options. This is often portrayed as good food and bad food, I did the right thing by eating the salad, or I did the wrong thing by eating the chocolate bar.
For example, if someone was exposed to multiple messages that sugar is bad because it will make them fat, somewhere within their learning history they have learned that fat is bad and something to be avoided. This message will likely be reinforced multiple times and can become a rule in someone's mind. We refer to this as rule-governed behaviour. A rule might be I can only eat food with added sugar if I exercise at least 60 minutes that day, or I must never eat food with added sugar because I will become fat.
Shame and body image
Shame refers to a state of being in disgrace. The word origins of disgrace can be traced to dis (Italian) the opposite of, and gratia (Latin) favor, esteem, regard, or pleasing quality. In other words, not of a pleasing or acceptable quality. This can be internalised as a thought I am wrong, bad, flawed, unlovable, unacceptable, disgusting etc.
Lots of different life experiences may contribute to the association of how you feel about your body and instances where you have experienced shame.
This may include:
· Being told that you are becoming chubby or chunky
· Being teased or called names for being in a larger body
· Having stretchmarks pointed out
· Being told to suck your stomach in
· Having your body compared to a sibling or friends
· Being told if you eat a particular food, it will make you fat
· Being told that certain foods are good and certain foods are bad
Guilt and body image
“I feel fat” can often mean, I have internalised messages from diet culture and beauty industry standards about gender-specific body image ideals. These ideals and standards, create unrealistic expectations and skew your perception away from natural diversity in body shapes and sizes.
At a subconscious level, this may be interpreted as my body doesn’t look like that, there is something wrong with my body, my body is fat, fat is bad, my body is bad. Labels such as fat, bad, and wrong, generally evoke unpleasant internal sensations or emotions that, as humans, we tend to want to get rid of or try and find ways of avoiding.
Get a couple of message examples from magazines that highlight thin = good, fat = bad or muscular = good, skinny = bad
Guilt stems from the Old English word gylt referring to crime, sin, fault or fine. When people refer to the experience of guilt in response to food what they are saying is “I have received the message that carbohydrates are bad or fattening, in turn now when I eat carbohydrates I feel bad and I feel like I have done something wrong, therefore I feel guilty for having homemade pizza for dinner.
What are the 4 types of body image?
There are four aspects of body image to consider.
1. Perceptual body image.
This relates to how you see your body. Perception refers to our interpretation of events and life experiences, which can be considered through the lens of fear, survival, and safety.
2. Affective body image.
This refers to how you feel about your body, mood, feelings, and attitudes toward your body.
3. Cognitive body image.
This refers to thoughts about your body and the messages your brain sends to you about your body.
4. Behavioural body image.
This refers to the behaviours that arise in response to your body image.
How do you (fix) transmute body image problems?
The notion of fixing body image problems implies that something is broken and wrong. This type of thinking has arisen partly because of the reductionistic paradigm common in Western medicine.
The alternative to fixing or getting rid of body image problems.
Often people engage in unworkable and life-limiting behaviours when they try to fix or get rid of body image problems. In essence, you are likely trying to get rid of or avoid unpleasant internal sensations. You may
1. Engage in overly restrictive dieting for weight loss
2. Avoid people and situations that contribute to you feeling bad about your body (e.g not going to the beach or pool with family or friends, not going out socially)
3. Over-exercising or not exercising
4. Not leaving the house
Rather than trying to fix or get rid of body image problems, you can learn to notice the thoughts and sensations you have. Once you have practiced noticing, you can develop the skills, tools, and resources to respond more flexibly to your thoughts and feelings and do more of what you care about!
Confidence and body image
Often people will share that their desire for weight loss is driven by their desire to feel more confident, and if they felt more confident they would be able to do more of what matters to them e.g. engage in social activities.
The word origin of confidence comes from the Latin confidere, which refers to having full trust. When I hear people sharing they want more confidence, often what they want is the trust they will be accepted for who they are. In this case, people are seeking acceptance through the lens of body image ideals, as historically people have been marginalised, discriminated against, and abused for being in a larger or nonconforming body.
How does body image affect self-esteem?
Self-esteem refers to your opinion of yourself. Our self-esteem is also based on our life experiences and learning history. Our life experiences are like internal fingerprints "“We can hardly bear to look. The shadow may carry the best of the life we have not lived. Go into the basement, the attic, the refuse bin. Find gold there. Find an animal who has not been fed or watered. It is you!! This neglected, exiled animal, hungry for attention, is a part of your self.” Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score. Our learning history shapes and influences our opinions and beliefs about ourselves and others.
The construct of body image is multi-dimensional being shaped and influenced contextually. By understanding the historical context shaping beliefs, and the current context impacting body image, you can be supported to relate differently to these thoughts and feelings in a way that supports you to thrive and in a way that supports you to return to the wisdom and inner knowing of your body and its signals.
JACINTA SHERLOCK (they/them) is a specialized trauma and eating behavior dietitian with over 8 years of experience in both public and private mental health settings. They founded The ACT Dietitian, offering supervision and educational training for dietitians and other health professionals. Jacinta also operates Dietetics Done Differently, a private practice clinic renowned for identifying processes affecting eating behavior and implementing therapeutically informed interventions to enhance nutritional intake within an expanded scope of practice.
Jacinta is available for in person or online consultations.
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