We have become a society of women unhappy with the way we look and constantly striving for what we think is the perfect body. What really is the perfect body? The answer is easy. The perfect body is the one that we have been given and the one that we need to respect, admire and honor.
We spend a lot of our time obsessing about our “imperfect” bodies- our “fat” thighs, our “bad” hair, and our “flawed” skin. The amount of effort we put into comparing our bodies to others, judging ourselves harshly and pressuring ourselves to have the perfect body that the media presents to us, could be put into appreciating and respecting the bodies we do have. The idea that girls, teenagers and women should be extremely thin is being created and cultivated within our society.The demands we put on ourselves to be thin is harsh and ones we would never put on our family and friends. Our conception of how we “should” look has become totally unrealistic.
So how do we overcome these incomplete, inaccurate feelings of dissatisfaction with our bodies? In Nancy Clark’s article “Are you imagining the wrong body?” she states that “the better approach is to build self-esteem and focus on what the body can “do” versus how it looks,” (Clark 1). I agree with Clark; I believe we need to do this not only for ourselves but also to be an example for our children, friends and family. By ridding ourselves of the negative energy we carry around concerning our looks, we can be much better served by creating and instilling the positive energy that allows us to live a happy, productive and authentic life. It’s time to eliminate our mind-body disconnect and take some steps to revere our bodies. Below is a brief list of possible ways we might change our thinking “to find peace with our bodies, redefine our goals, and accept ourselves as being good people,” (Cash 2).
-
Love yourself from the inside out (for who you are) as opposed to the outside in (what you look like). (1)
-
Be aware of how harshly you judge and compare yourself. Would you judge your loved ones that way?
-
Accept and respect the body that you were given.
-
Be aware of perfectionist thinking (striving for a perfect body) and enjoy your given body that is “good enough”.
-
Appreciate all the things your body can do for you on a daily basis. Strong legs (formerly fat thighs) allow you to be active and fit. (2)
-
Respect the genetic differences in body types and sizes.
-
Give a new affirmative name to a body part that you do not like. For instance a “round stomach” is a more reverent name than a “fat gut”. (2)
-
Create positive body talk by identifying the parts of your body you do like, such as silky hair, long legs, or gorgeous eyes. (2)
References
1. Clark, Nancy, M.S., R.D., CSSD, FACSM. Are You Imagining the Wrong Body? ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. 2010; 14 (7-10)
2. Cash T. The Body Image Workbook: An 8-step Program for Learning to Like your Looks. Oakland (CA): New Harbinger Publications; 2008
3. Lundeman A. Self-esteem: its application to eating disorders and athletes. Int. J. sport Nutr. 1994;4(3):237-52
4. Yager Z, O’Dea J. Prevention programs for body image and eating disorders on university campuses: a review of large, controlled interventions. Health Promot Innt. 2008;23(2):173-89
