This blog post is about Body Image, inspired by our latest Australian of the Year, Taryn Brumfitt and her mission to have us all embrace and love the bodies we have. It's a conversation we need to keep having so we can see this important change realised. So...let's talk!
"We weren't born hating our bodies...When we were young, we were free. We said yes to adventures, we jumped into the pool, we danced, we laughed, we gave less shits and then....we grew up. We started buying into the toxic messages from people and industries that told us to be anything other than what we are and we ended up here – exhausted, disconnected and hating our bodies." Taryn Brumfitt, Body Image Movement.
Body Image.
Body Image is how you see yourself, in the mirror, in your mind. It's how you feel about your body. The conversations you have with yourself about your body and how it looks and feels. Its size, shape, weight. How it feels when you move. Having a healthy body image is an important part of mental well-being and eating disorders prevention.
The Facts & Stats
In a survey by The Butterfly Foundation 40% of Australian women who responded, said they were dissatisfied to very dissatisfied with their bodies. 73% wished they could change it.
Here are a few more facts. They are from Break Binge Eating by Dr. Jake Linardon, a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia and one of the world's leading researchers of eating disorders.
- Almost 1 in 2 women have reported feeling more concerned with the way they look during the pandemic lockdowns of the past few years.
- Nearly 23% of Australian women report an overvaluation of weight and shape (overvaluation is basing who you are as a person almost entirely on what you look like or what the number on the scales tells you).
- In more than 50,000 adults, 60% of women thought they were too heavy and were self-conscious about their weight, 30% reported being too uncomfortable in a swimsuit, and 20% thought that they were unattractive
- Nearly 70% of adult women report withdrawing from activities due to their body image
There are many more studies that have been done and more stats that can be mentioned. It's so important that we understand the facts. It brings to our attention just how widespread poor Body Image is felt throughout the world. And if you feel this way, you are not alone.
What Influences Negative Body Image?
Some of the factors that contribute to a negative body image include:
- Being teased about appearance in childhood
- Growing up in a household where emphasis is placed on the appearance of a particular ideal body size or shape
- Parents and other family members experiencing body dissatisfaction and engaging in dieting or weight control behaviours
- A cultural tendency to judge people by their appearance
- Peer pressure among teenage girls and women to be slim, go on diets, exercise and
compare themselves with others
- Media and advertising images that promote particular appearance ideals
- 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.
(Better Health Victoria)
How Do You Know If You Have a Poor Body Image?
There are many different signs and symptoms of poor body image and the signs and symptoms are as diverse as those who suffer. These are the most prevalent to be aware of. Thanks to Dr Jake Linardon for shedding important light on these.
- General unhappiness with one's body as a whole or its specific parts
- Equating one's self-worth on the basis of what they look like or weigh
- Obsessively scrutinizing one's body in front of a mirror or reflection
- Repetitive negative thoughts about one's body that interfere with many life domains
- Refusal to look at one's body due to anxiety
- Perceiving one's body to be larger than it really is
- Extreme anxiety over gaining weight
- Making disparaging comments about one's body and frequent comparison of one's shape and size to other people
- Feelings of being trapped in a larger body
These signs and symptoms are important to spot because they've each been shown to predict many different poor health outcomes, like eating disorder symptoms, functional impairment, and mental health problems.
How To Feel Better About Your Body
Let's not over-simplify or diminish just how difficult this can be, after all, for some of us, a poor self-image has been with us for a very long time. For some, the changes we need to make are significant, for others, the change we're seeking is not so overwhelming and a reset 'back on track' will be very helpful.
But if you want to feel a more positive connection with your body, here are some suggestions made with love and care. They're not complete solutions. They're here to help spark ideas, conversation and change. Please reach out for professional help if you are overwhelmed. The Butterfly Foundation and Beyond Blue are wonderful organisations devoted to making a positive change for you, and so too is your GP.
Protect - welcome in those who lift you up and keep out those who don't. Those who energise you and bring a positive wave your way are keepers. Those who drain you, need to be filtered out. Online and in real life. Social media can be helpful, but it can also be harmful. Filter and detox as required...
Affirm & Nurture - your daily practice is your strongest practice. Include positive reminders and messages in your day. Put them in the mirror so they're the first thing you see in the morning. In the kitchen where you make your cuppa. Set aside time every single day that nurtures your soul. Self-care is not indulgent it's a necessity. Even 15 mins spent sitting in a space that makes you feel good - the right light, scent, candles, cushions. Being grateful is powerful. Use that time to write down 3 things you're grateful for. Stretch, sit, sip your water and clear your mind.
Change Focus - catch yourself when you think negative thoughts about you. Mindfully turn it around. Write that positive thought down. Move from that environment, that activity and switch focus. Use your favourite affirmation.
Health Not Size - this is such an important mindset to have, backed up with daily habits that focus on doing what is healthy for your body rather than how you look - size, shape, weight. Think about putting the scales away. What purpose does weighing yourself serve? Is it adding pressure that is not serving you in a positive way. If the answer is yes, why are they there?
See Yourself as a Whole - not as body parts. That's how I hear women describe themselves every single week. You are not your rounder full belly, the back fat over your bra strap, the dimpled upper thighs... you are so much more than that. Don't be defined by a body part. Maybe you feel a detachment from your body? You blame your body or a body part you're not so fond of, for things that you don't want to do or feel uncomfortable about, that hold you back. Your body is beautiful and it does so much for you each and every day. Get to know it - all over, as one. Make that a healthy habit. Touch your belly and let it know you're grateful for the children it grew, the way it filters out the bad and keeps in the goodness. Your butt and thighs are your movement powerhouse. Appreciate what they do for you each and every day. Work this in with your Affirmations and Nurturing.
Beyond You, For Others - this is powerful. It ties in with Changing Focus. When we look beyond ourselves to helping others, it not only helps them, it helps us too because we feel useful and what we're doing makes a positive difference. Start small and reach out with a conversation, a connection. Join a group you respect and do good together.
I've seen the power of this first-hand with our Cossie Confidence Crew and the campaign we run each and every year. They do it for themselves, to prove they can. They do it for each other because so many wonderful friendships have been formed and they do it for you. Encouraging women to overcome their fear of being in a swimsuit so they don't miss out on the wonderful.
Where To From Here?
How you feel about your body is deeply personal and I know many of you reading this blog post at some point in your life, have not been at peace with your body. I am sorry for that if you are. I truly am. I hope that you've found this blog post helpful even in some small way.
Further Reading, Watching and Listening
f you enjoyed this week's Beyond The Shop - Body Image edition and want to go deeper, here are a few more places to dive in. There are loads more out there. Here is a place to start.
Read:
Health At Every Size - by Linda Bacon - The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
The Body Is Not An Apology - by Sonya Renee Taylor - Radical Self-Love
Butterfly Foundation - is the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, and for the families, friends and communities who support them. A wonderful organisation and support.
National Eating Disorders - NEDA a large not for profit dedicated to helping those and their families affected by eating disorders.
Break Binge Eating - a website and great resource by Dr Jake Linardon - Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
Watch:
Embrace - the body image documentary by Taryn Brumfitt and the Body Image Movement. It's available on Netflix, 7Plus and on Flicks.
[A chat I had with Tatia Power (Body Image ambassador) about Body Image in Covid times]. The words we use in daily conversation might not be helpful.
Body Image and Being in a Swimsuit - with me! Anita McLachlan.
Listen:
Talking Body by Amy Porterfield - I love this podcast series.
10 Body Positive Podcasts - all in one place.
We Can Do Hard Things - Glennon Doyle - Our Bodies: Why are we at war with them and can we every make peace?
