The human body is a powerful tool for movement, experience, and self-understanding. While the body enables us to explore our passions, navigate the world, and sense our surroundings, for many, it can also be a source of shame, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The way in which we think, feel, and experience our bodies is largely dependent on our body image.

By: Sadie Grant

Body image is comprised of the cognitive, emotional, and physical perceptions that we have about our bodies. A healthy body image can empower individuals to accept, respect, and even celebrate the body in its natural shape and size, or embrace the power of what the body does, rather than how it looks. Unhealthy or negative body image, on the other hand, occurs when we have a distorted perception of our physical appearance, and can lead to feelings of shame, self-consciousness, depression, and low-self esteem. Research indicates that negative body image is a leading contributor in the development of an eating disorder.

Unfortunately, body image-related issues have increased in the last 30 years among people of all ages. Indeed, much of the media and cultural frameworks that we encounter every day promote the idea that youth, thinness, and beauty determine a person’s worth. Our weight and diet-obsessed culture has taught many of us that in order to be good and successful, we must eat, exercise, and look a certain way.

Diet culture and body dissatisfaction often lead to disordered eating behaviors. Individuals with negative body image are more likely to engage in behaviors such as restrictive eating, purging (i.e., self-induced vomiting, using laxatives, or over-exercising), and binge-eating. However, body dissatisfaction can also be healed.

Today, we are going to share some of the ways in which you can build a more positive, balanced relationship with your body. One list will not automatically change a person’s body image, nor address all the factors that can be implicated in how a person relates to their body. However, developing new habits and thought patterns can help protect against negative body image.

7 Steps to Heal Your Body Image:

1. Recognize all that your body allows you to do.

We have bodies that allow us to experience the world. Without our bodies, we would not be able to dance, to breathe, to laugh, or to dream. Our bodies are the vehicles that allow us to explore new places, to spend time with loved ones, to hear music, and so much more. Practice thanking your body for the simple things that it allows you to experience.

2. Avoid dieting.

Dieting can quickly spiral into disordered eating and perpetuate negative body image. In fact, research suggests that some 20-25% of those who diet develop partial or full-threshold eating disorders.¹ Numerous studies also show a correlation between media that promotes dieting/weight-loss and body image issues. Furthermore, dieting can lead to lower self-esteem, decreased energy, mood swings, and a sense of hopelessness.

Adopting an intuitive approach to eating can improve body image by reminding us that food is just food. By learning to identify feelings of hunger/fullness and enjoy all foods, we can more easily reject diet culture and remember that weight and appearance do not determine our worth.

3. Reflect on qualities you like about yourself — or qualities you are glad you don’t have — that have nothing to do with your appearance.

Are you compassionate? Funny? Do you take good care of your pet? Can you speak a second language? Write, draw, or speak the qualities that you like about yourself. If this feels challenging, you can also focus on the negative attributes that you DON’T have. Are you NOT cruel? Do you NOT have a habit of leaving a mess around the house? Actively reflecting on our true inner qualities can help remind us that we are so much more than how we look on the outside.

4. Surround yourself with supportive people.

If you are surrounded by people who endorse diet culture, constantly talk about fitness and weight-loss schemes, or make you feel uncomfortable for eating or looking a certain way, consider creating a new support system. It is much easier to feel good about yourself and your appearance when you are surrounded by people who recognize the importance of balance and body inclusivity.

5. Change your social media feed.

Numerous studies have found correlations between social media use, body image issues, and eating disorders. Unsurprisingly, following social media accounts that feature and promote thin and “fit” bodies can make us more likely to judge our own bodies negatively. Replace accounts that promote the thin ideal with ones that celebrate all bodies, or even ones that do not highlight bodies at all. Consider diversifying your feed with beautiful landscapes, cute animals, or inspiring art.

6. Acknowledge the power of body misperception.

Body misperception is very common among the general population. Many of us have a distorted perception of body image, which may fluctuate with mood, self-esteem, and social context. Next time you make a judgment about your body, gently remind yourself that you may not have an accurate perception of how you look. In acknowledging body misperception, we can get closer to liberating ourselves from judging our bodies at all.

7. Seek treatment.

If your body image concerns are interfering with your life and/or your wellbeing, psychotherapy, nutrition counseling, or an eating disorder treatment program may be the right step for you. In treatment, you will focus on building a healthy relationship with food and movement, improving confidence, and developing a healthy body image. A healthy body image improves self-esteem, self-acceptance, and healthy behaviors, leading to a more balanced lifestyle and a deeper connection and appreciation for the body and the mind.

At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. We are excited to offer a Body Image Group that addresses issues related to body dissatisfaction. The group is focused on challenging beauty ideals and understanding how poor body image and low self-esteem impact our identity. Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our Body Image Group. Book a free consultation call below or read more about our philosophy here.

This post was written by BALANCE Blog Intern, Sadie Grant.

Sadie is a recent graduate of Oberlin College with a B.A. in psychology. After recovering from disordered eating, Sadie became passionate about eating disorder awareness, body neutrality, and destabilizing beauty standards that are established by social and cultural norms. While earning her Bachelor’s degree, Sadie conducted quantitative research, worked with populations experiencing barriers to essential services, and studied Spanish. Sadie hopes to use her developing research and interpersonal skills to work in the field of eating disorders and address the way in which expectations around eating and beauty vary across different populations.

Resources

[1] Hawkins, N. (2017, March 15). Negative body image - understanding and overcoming. Retrieved February 27, 2021, from https://centerforchange.com/battling-bodies-understanding-overcoming-negative-body-images/

[2] 10 steps to positive body image. (2021, February 03). Retrieved February 27, 2021, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/ten-steps