Many factors in our society and culture can fuel struggles with body image.

Body image is a combination of the thoughts and feelings that we have about our bodies.

Dealing With Body Image Issues

What Is Body Image?

As mentioned, body image is how we feel and think about our own bodies.

Body image may range between positive and negative experiences, and one person may feel at different times positive or negative or a combination of both.

What Is Body Shaming?

Body shaming involves humiliating someone by making inappropriate or negative comments about their body size or shape.

As well as “fat shaming” for being overweight, we may also hear negative comments if we’re underweight or in reference to a specific body part

What Are The Different Types Of Body Shaming?

The scope of body shaming is wide, and includes the aforementioned fat-shaming, shaming for thinness, height-shaming, shaming of hairiness (or lack thereof), of hair-colour, body-shape, one’s muscularity (or lack thereof), and shaming of looks such as facial features.

What Are The Four Aspects Of Body Image?

• The way you see your body is your perceptual body image.
• The way you feel about your body is your affective body image.
• The way you think about your body is your cognitive body image.
• The behaviours you engage in because of your body image are your behavioural body image.

Ways To Overcome A Negative Body Image

• Challenge your negative thoughts.
• Focus on the positive.
• Love what your body does more than how it looks.
• Challenge comparison and media portrayals.
• Set healthy boundaries.

What Is Body Image Vs. Self-Esteem?

Body image is both the mental picture we have of our own body and how we see ourselves when we look in the mirror.

Self-esteem is how we value and respect ourselves as people. Self-esteem affects how we take care of ourselves, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

What Causes Body Image Issues?

Experiences in childhood are the most common causes of negative body image.

As an example, being bullied at school for one’s weight may lower self-esteem and could cause lifelong concerns about body image.

More subtle experiences in life can cause dissatisfaction with one’s body as well, including:

• Our relationships with our family and friends.
• How our family and peers feel and speak about bodies and appearance.
• Exposure to images of idealised or unrealistic bodies through media or social media.
• Pressure to look a certain way or to match an “ideal” body type.

Is Body Image An Insecurity?

Your body image is how you view your own body, and how you feel about what you perceive it to look like.  If you have a negative perception of your body or about how you look, you might be experiencing body insecurity.

How To Help A Friend Struggling With Body Image

• Compliment them on something not related to their body.
• Ask them about other things going on in their life.
• Reframe and challenge negative thoughts.
• Follow encouraging and positive social media.
• Practice self care together.
• Listen non-judgementally.

How Do You Develop A Positive Body Image?

• Positive affirmations.
• Think healthier, not skinnier.
• Compliment others freely.
• Surround yourself with positivity.
• Focus on the things you like about yourself.
• Stop comparing yourself to others.
• Cut out negative self-talk.
• Absorb body positive messages.

How Do You Fix Body Image Problems?

• Identify and challenge negative thoughts.
• Recognize the underlying motivation for criticism.
• Appreciate your body for what it can do.
• Practice focusing on the positive aspects.
• Avoid comparisons.
• Challenge media portrayals.
• Identify non-physical traits that you admire.

What Can Negative Body Image Lead To?

A negative body image increases the risk of engaging in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, such as dieting or restrictive eating, over-exercising and other disordered eating or weight control behaviours.

Dieting itself can be a significant risk factor for developing an eating disorder.

Final Thoughts

Some factors that can lead to body image issues include comments, expectations, and feedback from people we know including family, friends, or associates.

Be mindful of how you communicate within your social circle, what one may view as harmless teasing could be negatively affecting that targeted person on the inside.

We often don’t know someone’s full history and should proceed as such whenever possible.

What do you think? Please let me know how you feel about this subject in the comments or follow the links.

Sources and other reading:

Social Media and Body Image Issues

What Can Body Language Tell Us?

How to Stop Caring What People Think

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