Body Image: Breaking down truths, myths & ways to create a positive outlook on your body
By Brandi Dodd
Body image is often used to describe how an individual views their own body, whether it’s regarding their height, weight, or even type of hair. It is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind.
For as long as we’ve been a population, it is common and usual for people to base their own body image on what body type is currently “trending” or “in” at the moment. Certain body types can be seen as “desirable,” which may lead to unhealthy thinking or eating habits for those who don’t have the body type that they’re currently wishing they had.
The issue with beauty standards is that they are forever changing. What was ideal 40, 20, or even 5 years ago is not the same as today. As time changes, standards change. Body ideals also change based on region. Your community and culture play a big role in how your body is perceived by others. The point is it’s impossible to fit into a standard that is not set in place. As men and women grow through society, they will witness the spotlight being shed on a variety of bodies and characteristics, and feel the need to change themselves accordingly. But as time goes on people will hyper-fixate on something different.
So what changes have we seen to the “Beauty Standard”?
1800s
If we take it back to the 1800s, we find that the beauty standard can be described as the “Rubenesque” era. This meant both men's and women’s bodies were fuller and curvier. This is because a bigger body proved wealth and health which was ideal for this time.
1890s — Early 1900s
During this time the idea of having an extremely thin waist came to focus for women. This ideal was aided by the introduction of corsets, which also helped achieve the fuller hips and bigger breast ideal.
1930s — 1950s
The ideal body for women in this era is known as the “pin-up” look. Slight curves were back in, but only if they were on the smaller side. Men were expected to be fit but not too muscular. People were pushed to the “not too thin, not too big” ideal.
Why is body image even important?
How we view ourselves can affect every aspect of our lives. Our mental health, physical health, and interactions with others are often based on how confident and comfortable we are in our own skin. When discussing body image and what it means, it’s important to understand the different types of how someone can view themselves.
There are four main aspects to body image:
- Perceptual: The way you see yourself
How a person sees themselves is known as their perceptual body image. It is important to note that our perceptual body image is NOT always accurate.
A skewed perceptual body image can be caused by either biological, environmental or psychological factors. Some of the biggest factors currently include the media and its portrayal of beauty. Your upbringing can also affect how you see yourselves; the way your parents, guardians or peers raised you to think about your body.
There is no exact way to pinpoint why your brain perceives your body incorrectly, but there are ways to determine whether your perceptual image is off. If you find yourself aligning with any of these symptoms do not be scared to reach out for help. Some people to reach out to include a loved one, your primary care provider, or mental health professional.
- Avoiding social situations because of how you feel about your physical body
- Seeking reassurance about your appearance
- Engaging in behaviors aimed at fixing or hiding the perceived flaw that is difficult to resist or control, such as frequently checking the mirror, grooming or skin picking
- Being extremely preoccupied with a perceived flaw in appearance that to others can’t be seen or appears minor
- A strong belief that you have a defect in your appearance that makes you ugly or deformed
- The belief that others take special notice of your appearance in a negative way or mock you
2. Affective: How you feel about your looks
Now that we’ve talked about how we see ourselves, the next aspect of body image is how we feel about what we see. Whether we are satisfied or not it all is a part of our affective body image. Oftentimes this is the root of negative mindsets and habits.
3. Cognitive: Beliefs about your body
Cognitive body image is what you think about your own body. This can be the belief that you’d look better if your body was different. Just like a perceptual body image, it is NOT always accurate. Just because you think you could be happier if you looked different, this doesn’t necessarily mean you will be happier. It’s all about the mentality you have when it comes to tackling those goals.
4. Behavioral: How you act in relation to your thoughts
The behavioral aspect of body image is what you DO in reaction to what you think. This is where your diet and workout routines come into play. In order to maintain healthy behaviors, you have to have a good mindset.
A bad mindset though can lead to unhealthy eating habits or behaviors that can then lead to long-term and dangerous issues such as eating disorders or excessive exercising, which may show “quick” results but in the long run will be damaging to your body both mentally and physically.
So what makes a “bad” mindset in regards to your body? A negative body image will be rooted in finding your happiness ONLY if your body goals are completed. When body goals become an obsession, you’ll notice you begin thinking irrationally about your desired outcome.
A person with a negative body mindset may align themselves with these statements :
- I am scared of gaining/losing weight
- I can only eat if I’ve earned it
- I need to work off what I have eaten
- I ate too much for breakfast, now the entire day is ruined
After speaking to Connie Cheng, a registered dietitian of five years and currently a Nutrition Education Specialist for Texas WIC, we got the real insight into positive body progress and what eating “right” even means.
Cheng began by ensuring that there is absolutely no “right” way of eating, more so “it’s what you can do for the longest period of time that can maintain your positive relationship with food.”
The conversation continued into calorie counting and its possible effects on your body.
Cheng stated that calorie counting can have the potential to be an effective tool in body management, but only if used in a non-intrusive way. Oftentimes, people will use calorie counting as a way to shame or restrict themselves, which may lead to viewing eating as a way of reward “causing a person to question whether they earned the calories they ate that day,” she explained.
A less intrusive and more effective way of calorie counting can be to only check in on yourself for a maximum of 3 days a month. This will allow you to track your eating habits without keeping your mind on the topic consistently.
When discussing some of the “craziest” weight loss hacks Cheng has heard of and why they are ineffective, she began with a “hack” in which a person limits themselves to just one type of food for an entire month or period of time.
The most well-known form of this diet is juice cleanses, but many substitutes have recently come to light. She explains that having a variety of food for your body to consume is extremely important. No one food for an entire month is going to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly.
Some other diet trends she’s heard of that can develop unhealthy eating habits are the carnivore diet and attempting to chew your food at a slower pace before swallowing.
“People’s lives affect their eating habits; the last thing eating is about is the actual food — some people see it as a way to control their autonomy,” she explained.
Connie finished off the interview by asking people to ask themselves: “why do I have the specific body goals I have?” She finds that most of the time a person’s reason for wanting to change is to fit in with the forever-changing beauty standards.
“Beauty is more than ever standardized. If you can’t find reasons that are intrinsic, benefiting you not from others, it is time to question your body goals,” she said.
So next time you’re thinking about creating habits to change your body ask yourself: “Why do I want to do this?”
Motivation to change is always going to wear out if your goals don’t come directly from you. While it’s okay to be happy when others view you, it won’t be long-lasting if you yourself don’t feel good. Take time to find intrinsic reasons to work on yourself such as “I want to better my mental health” or “I want to have more energy.” As long as it’s coming from a place of good intentions.
Some tips for maintaining a positive body image can include:
- Compliment yourself: Take time to recognize little things you love about yourself, whether it’s physical or mental.
- Stop comparing: Don’t compare yourself to others. It is always important to remember that others’ beauty does not take away from your own.
- Don’t fall for the myths: Don’t fall for the quick results myths. Take time to research your goals and how to achieve them in a healthy way. A majority of these “get fit quick” lead to eating disorders or overstressing your body.
- Find good motivations that will benefit you.
- “I want to have more energy”
- “I want to better my mental health”
- “I want to do something with my time”
- “I want to get better sleep”
- “I want to reduce my stress”
If you believe you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association), https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
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