Body image Unit 3

What do I think of my Body?

Pennington Biomedical Research CenterDivision of Education

www.pbrc.edu

Awesome.2Cents!

This lesson will cover:

Body image Self esteem and body image Body image acceptance Media influence Family and friends - influences Accepting your body Developing a healthy body image

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image

Are you happy what you see in the mirror?

Your perception of how your body looks forms your body image.

Body image can also be closely linked with self-esteem.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Self Esteem & Body Image

Valuing oneself Affects behavior

more in control of own behavior make friends easily will enjoy life more

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image

Regardless of how closely your actual figure resembles your perception, your body image can affect your self-esteem, your eating, grooming, exercise behaviors, and your relationships with others.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image

Body image - objective measures?

Own versus others opinions

Body image is most strongly affected during puberty.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image

In the Western societies such as US, there is a lot of emphasis placed on body weight, size, and overall physical appearance. (e.g. hair, symmetry of features, etc.)

We are conditioned from a very young age to believe that self-worth is derived from these external physical characteristics, vs internal characteristics. (e.g. morals, values, altruism, intelligence, etc.)

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image Satisfaction and Perception

Girls: Most are not satisfied with their body.

Majority are dissatisfied with their body shape and want to lose weight.

Many do not perceive their body accurately. 1/3 cannot identify their weight correctly 2/3 can correctly identify themselves as being either

normal weight or overweight

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Body Image Influences

Other cultural attitudes African A - less drive for thinness and a greater acceptance of

larger body proportions. Hispanics are more accepting of their body size. Asian women are more content with their body size.

A mother’s weight, body image, attitude, and health habits are strong indicators of whether or not her daughter is overweight, satisfied with her body, and physically active.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Other Influences?

Modern media, including:

• Compact disc (CD) covers • Advertisements• Movies• Music videos• Television• Video games• Magazines

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Media Effects Media

Reflects the unrealistic ideals of the current generation

Uses whatever image best sells Reinforces perceptions of the human body

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Media Effects cont.

Unrealistic standards for what is considered “normal.”

Girls are indoctrinated to think they should to look like fashion models.

Boys think that men naturally have bulging muscles.

These body ideals are reinforced every day on TV shows, movies, magazine covers, and even video games.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Family and Friends

There is pressure sometimes to be thin or super muscular in order to be accepted by peers and sometimes even family members.

At school you are likely surrounded by negative “body talk”…in the bathroom, in the dining halls, in the locker room… (“Yuck! Look at my thighs…I’m so fat! I really need to go on a diet!”). Leads to feelings of self-consciousness about own body. Leads to thoughts about options (behaviors) to change the

body.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Family and Friends cont.

Family members may have made comments about their own weight and enforced food restrictions.

Parents may have inadvertently sent messages that you need to be thin in order to be loved.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Athletics

There may be pressure to: make a specific weight class (i.e.

wrestling, crew, boxing), race faster (i.e. running, cycling), or weigh less in order to achieve a

more difficult skill level as well appear attractive to the judges or audience (i.e. gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, figure skating).

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Health Professionals

Weight and height measurements are routinely done at health clinics, and you are often assigned a certain label (“underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese”) based on these measurements.

Your clinician may even encourage you to lose weight, to see a dietitian, or to consider drugs or surgery.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Health Professionals cont. Labeling by the medical community can affect your body

image and self-esteem. You are affixed a label, if you fall outside the “normal”

range.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Reality about weight measurements A “normal” weight person can actually be

overfat. A high BMI may not necessarily indicate overfat.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Reality about weight measurements Keep in mind that your weight and body composition are

determined by a number of factors. Under person’s control:

dietary intake level of physical activity

Cannot be controlled: body type bone structure the way you store fat other genetic variables

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Health and Fitness

Body weight is different from body composition (i.e. how much is muscle, bone, or fat).

Muscle is denser and weighs more than fat. Weight isn’t the best indicator of health and fitness. Your eating habits, exercise pattern, and metabolic

measures are more important indicators of your health. Eat based on MyPyramid? Exercise 30-60 minutes a day? What are your cholesterol, iron, and glucose values? Do you sleep well and have energy during the day?

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Adolescent changes

• Changes that accompany puberty, such as changes in appearance, ability, performance, and strength are all perfectly normal parts of growing up.

• Seek help from trusted sources such as the parents, a school nurse, the family doctor.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Steps to take to have a good body image

De-emphasize weight. Weight is not the problem, and dieting is not the answer. Weight doesn’t define who you are or what you are worth as

a person. There is no such thing as one “ideal body weight” based on

your height. There is a physiological limit to how muscular you can get

naturally.

Step 1.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Beware– don’t compare!

Avoid comparison. Everyone develops differently and at different

times. Avoid comparing yourself with celebrities and

models. Celebrities’ images are touched up to enhance the

appearance of the person in the picture.

Step 2.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Treat Your Body Well

Learn about healthy food choices and different exercises.

Engage in physical activity. You may need to change your activity

as you develop, there is an exercise for everyone.

Experiment with different activities.

Step 3.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Befriend Your Bod

Don’t stress out. Give yourself time. Don’t focus on minor

imperfections. People will not notice them.

Step 4.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Walk Tall– Even if You’re not!

What people do notice is how you project your feelings about yourself.

Think tall. You will look strong. Work on good posture and walk with a sense of

confidence.

Step 5.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Project Health: Inside and Out

Healthy is attractive. Take care of yourself. Present yourself well.

Are you outgoing and upbeat, with a friendly smile and welcoming posture that attracts people to you? Do you dress to impress, have a unique style, stand tall, and carry yourself with pride and confidence?

Step 6.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Invest in your well-being

Surround yourself with people who have a healthy relationship with food, weight, and their bodies.

Stop your negative thoughts and statements about yourself.

Invest time and money in yourself, rather than the diet and supplement industry.

Move and enjoy your body.

Step 7.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Reclaim and Build Your Inner Self

Reclaim your own inner strength. Nurture your inner self. Examine the degree to which your self-esteem depends

upon your appearance. Broaden your perspective. Recognize that “fat-ism” is a form of discrimination

similar to sexism, racism, and classism.

Step 8.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Pursue Happiness

True happiness comes from within. It comes from nurturing your soul and spirit with

healthy relationships, communication, boundary setting, and relaxation.

Step 9.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

And Finally:

Pay AttentionPay Attention – Listen to internal cues (i.e., hunger, satiety, fatigue). Appreciate Your UniquenessAppreciate Your Uniqueness – You are contributing to the human

experience just by your presence. Be AcceptingBe Accepting – Learn to Highlight your best features and to minimize

those that bother you. People will notice the attractive parts of you when you highlight them and accept the others.

No one is perfect!

Step 10.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Conclusion

Use objective measurements when assessing your shape and weight.

Realize that models are very unique and have very different body dimensions.

Learn to accept yourself. Check with your family and friends to get affirmation. Enjoy your food but learn to listen to your body. Emphasize your good points. Everyone has some!

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Authors: Heli Roy, PhD, RDShanna Lundy, BSReviewed by: Tiffany Stewart, PhD

VISIONOur vision is to lead the world in eliminating chronic diseases. MISSIONOur mission is to discover the triggers of chronic diseases through innovative research that improves human health across the lifespan. We are helping people live Well Beyond the Expected.

The Pennington Center has several research areas, including:Clinical Obesity ResearchExperimental ObesityFunctional FoodsHealth and Performance EnhancementNutrition and Chronic DiseasesNutrition and the BrainDementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy agingDiet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenanceThe research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact on healthy living and on the prevention of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis. The Division of Education provides education and information to the scientific community and the public about research findings, training programs and research areas, and coordinates educational events for the public on various health issues. We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the exciting research studies being conducted at the Pennington Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you would like to take part, visit the clinical trials web page at www.pbrc.edu or call (225) 763-3000.

Division of EducationPhillip Brantley, PhD, DirectorPennington Biomedical Research CenterSteven Heymsfield, MD, Executive Director

Visit our Web Site: www.pbrc.eduPennington Biomedical Research Center