We hear so much about body image and how our young girls are influenced by skewed images and where/how they see them. But does anyone really know what body image means or who is is truly affected by it? Body dysmorphic disorders are the clinical classification for any non-normal sense of self by either gender. This means when people look at themselves in the mirror or in photos all the see are flaws that do not exist. We are most familiar with anorexia and bulimia where starving oneself, inducing vomiting and other extremes are carried out on the body in an effort to be thin,thus attractive.
This seems to be perpetuated by young girls, with a lot of support from on-line sites that provide all the info they need and "support" from others who also feel that they are too fat. The sad thing is, is that these girls are healthy weights for their ages but they have been exposed to too many negative ideas, from ads to their own homes. Men can also suffer from this, but it is not as widely publicized as women.
Men can suffer from a almost polar opposite of this "must be thin" thing and have "bigaorexia". This is where they keep working out and adding muscle in unhealthy levels because they are not "macho" enough or what have you. Many times steroids and other supplements are misused to gain the size they want, with the idea that something will always be too small. This is beginning to invade high school level workouts as well.
Yet, all of this comes down to body image. "The Pajama Diaries" comic strip began a series on body image this last week as the cartoonist is a mother of two teen girls herself and is concerned about how her daughters not only see themselves, but how she herself may be influencing the. G.A. McKevett who writes the "plus sized" Savannah Reid mysteries, also has touched on some sensitive issues such as weight loss surgery, abusive relationships and in her most recent book, the whole "male=must be big" disorder I mentioned above.
It is hard to have a healthy body image when one is not a "healthy" weight, but I think that is part of being who you are. If you can accept the fact that you are who you are, regardless of size,then size really doesn't matter. We all would like to change something about ourselves and we may be working on those changes and that is fine as long as they are being done not only for the right reasons, but in the right way.
Body image is how you see yourself,and that influences how you are seen and treated by others. I have seen "the look" in people's eyes when they first meet me. You know that fleeting look of disgust when they meet a truly larger person. I do not let it bother me, and try to be the person I want them to see, a confident, happy, nice, neat, competent person with a lot to offer. 99.9% of the time it works. For that narrow margin it doesn't then fine, it doesn't. You are not going to like everyone or they you. It's not the end of the world, nor is it the end of you.
That is the hard thing about body image. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so what one person finds attractive, others may not, so trying to adhere to a standard is basically one of the most ridiculous thing we try to do on a daily basis. Now, standards of acceptable behavior, and types of dress for certain events/work are needed, but saying that you MUST be this tall to be attractive or have this size chest is just plain wrong.
Body image is an uphill battle and one that will be hard to win, but it can be won, one body at a time.
This seems to be perpetuated by young girls, with a lot of support from on-line sites that provide all the info they need and "support" from others who also feel that they are too fat. The sad thing is, is that these girls are healthy weights for their ages but they have been exposed to too many negative ideas, from ads to their own homes. Men can also suffer from this, but it is not as widely publicized as women.
Men can suffer from a almost polar opposite of this "must be thin" thing and have "bigaorexia". This is where they keep working out and adding muscle in unhealthy levels because they are not "macho" enough or what have you. Many times steroids and other supplements are misused to gain the size they want, with the idea that something will always be too small. This is beginning to invade high school level workouts as well.
Yet, all of this comes down to body image. "The Pajama Diaries" comic strip began a series on body image this last week as the cartoonist is a mother of two teen girls herself and is concerned about how her daughters not only see themselves, but how she herself may be influencing the. G.A. McKevett who writes the "plus sized" Savannah Reid mysteries, also has touched on some sensitive issues such as weight loss surgery, abusive relationships and in her most recent book, the whole "male=must be big" disorder I mentioned above.
It is hard to have a healthy body image when one is not a "healthy" weight, but I think that is part of being who you are. If you can accept the fact that you are who you are, regardless of size,then size really doesn't matter. We all would like to change something about ourselves and we may be working on those changes and that is fine as long as they are being done not only for the right reasons, but in the right way.
Body image is how you see yourself,and that influences how you are seen and treated by others. I have seen "the look" in people's eyes when they first meet me. You know that fleeting look of disgust when they meet a truly larger person. I do not let it bother me, and try to be the person I want them to see, a confident, happy, nice, neat, competent person with a lot to offer. 99.9% of the time it works. For that narrow margin it doesn't then fine, it doesn't. You are not going to like everyone or they you. It's not the end of the world, nor is it the end of you.
That is the hard thing about body image. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so what one person finds attractive, others may not, so trying to adhere to a standard is basically one of the most ridiculous thing we try to do on a daily basis. Now, standards of acceptable behavior, and types of dress for certain events/work are needed, but saying that you MUST be this tall to be attractive or have this size chest is just plain wrong.
Body image is an uphill battle and one that will be hard to win, but it can be won, one body at a time.
Be you.