Am I looking the way others will accept me? These are common questions that stems in the mind of every child, teenager, adolescent, young adult and many times even adults.

What is the underlined meaning of this question or any similar questions that one has or one feels about one’s body?

It’s the Body Image

What is Body Image?

Body Image refers to how an individual sees their own body, and especially how attractive they feel themselves to be. Body image refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of their own body. It has been defined as “the multifaceted psychological experience of embodiment.” Body image relates to: what a person believes about their appearance, how they feel about their body, how they sense and control their body as they move, how they feel about their body, including their height, weight, and shape.

An article on The Relationship Between Body Dissatisfaction and Social Media in Adolescent and Young Women states that, The popularity of media, particularly social media, in youth makes it a potentially influential force.

In a research ‘Predictors of Body Image Dissatisfaction in Adult Men and Women’, it was found that media influence predicted body dissatisfaction in women and that age, family pressure and self-esteem predicted body image dissatisfaction in both men and women.

A research article ‘Body Image, Eating Disorders, and the Media’, found out that, almost half (46%) of teen girls and even a startling 26% of boys are unhappy with their body shape and size; only 12% and 17%, respectively, reported liking their appearance.

Causes of Negative Body Image:

Some of the factors that contribute to a negative body image include:

• being teased about appearance in childhood
• growing up with dieting parents, or one who was unhappy with their body shape
• a cultural tendency to judge people by their appearance
• peer pressure among teenage girls to be slim, go on diets and compare themselves with others
• media and advertising images promoting thinness as the ideal
• a tendency in women’s media to push fad diets and weight loss programs
• well-meaning public health campaigns that urge people to lose weight.

Body Image – Children and Teens

It’s difficult to escape the “ideal” body image that is promoted in today’s media (on TV, in magazines, on the internet, and in social media). No matter how much you try to shield your children from it, the message is likely to come through. This can happen at school as they interact with friends or as they observe the adults in their lives.

Even body language is not lost on children. Something as small as frowning in the mirror when you are trying on clothes can have an impact. This reinforces the message that a body needs to be perfect. That belief is the foundation for these building-block beliefs:

• My body has to be perfect.
• I’m not satisfied with my body.
• A perfect body would make me happy.
• A perfect body would earn me acceptance from others.
• A perfect body would earn love and admiration, even attention.
• Perfection is defined by a number on the scale or a size on a tag.
• I will do anything to have a perfect body.

Some experiences that can lead to an adolescent developing a negative body image include:

• Teasing and negative comments from family members about their body
• Being bullied at school or college for their body size or shape
• Having a body that is different from the ‘ídeal’ body that they see in the media
• Having a perfectionist attitude
• Having low self-esteem or self confidence
• Peer group dynamics and peer pressure to look perfect and ‘fit-in’

How to Develop a Positive, Healthy Body Image?

• Appreciate all that your body can do:

Every day your body carries you closer to your dreams. Celebrate all of the amazing things your body does for you—running, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc.

• Keep a top-ten list of things you like about yourself:

Things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read your list often. Add to it as you become aware of more things to like about yourself.

• Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin-deep:

When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you carry yourself with a sense of confidence, self-acceptance, and openness that makes you beautiful. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body.

• Look at yourself as a whole person:

When you see yourself in a mirror or in your mind, choose not to focus on specific body parts. See yourself as you want others to see you — as a whole person.

• Surround yourself with positive people:

It is easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you are around others who are supportive and who recognize the importance of liking yourself just as you naturally are.

• Try to shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad” person:

You can overpower those negative thoughts with positive ones. The next time you start to tear yourself down, build yourself back up with a few quick affirmations that work for you. This might be difficult, but it is not impossible thing to do, come up with some positive thoughts about yourself every time a negative thought starts entering your head.

• Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body:

Work with your body, not against it.

• Do something nice for yourself:

Something that lets your body know you appreciate it. Take a bubble bath, make time for a nap, or find a peaceful place outside to relax.

• Use the time and energy that you might have spent worrying about food, calories, and your weight to do something to help others.

Sometimes reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can make a positive change in our world.

• Show Gratitude Towards Your Body:

Be glad that you can breathe, that you are living. Your body may be overweight, or you may find yourself unattractive but if you are healthy, be grateful about that as it is a good starting point.

• Focus on Being Healthy, not Skinny:

You do not want to resort to unhealthy means to lose weight. Your aim should be overall fitness which means eating right and exercising enough. It will take some time to get in shape, but the healthy routine will improve your confidence and make you feel good.

• Be Comfortable Under Your Own Skin:

Learn to accept and love the way you look. If you wish to change something about yourself, it is completely your call but, do not change anything if you cannot accept your looks because undergoing an expensive cosmetic treatment may do no good to your lack of self-esteem.

• Do Not Skip on Basics:

I am asking you to be comfortable with yourself, not give up on things you can shift towards being better. If you feel you need to lose some weight, go for it. If you feel you need to change the way you look by getting beauty treatments, do not hesitate. If you feel your tooth needs fixing and you are up for dental tourism to get cheaper dental care, don’t wait. What needs to be done, needs to be done, just make sure that you are making all these changes out of love for yourself and not otherwise.

• Stop comparing:

One form of “checking” behaviour is comparison. This is when you constantly compare your physical attributes to those of other people. It can be challenging to stop negatively comparing yourself to others: for many people, it’s such a habit it is automatic and happens hundreds of times a day. Try to notice when you compare yourself to others and make a note of when you compare, who you compare yourself to, and what you say to yourself when it happens. Is it fair? Is it realistic? What effect does it have on how you feel about yourself? What can you say that may be more helpful?