Ryan O’MaraRamin NadjafiNicole Milana

Elizabeth BasileJustine Elfrink

ObjectivesObjectives

Define Define Body ImageBody Image Determine why a positive body image is Determine why a positive body image is

important to overall health important to overall health Determine associations of negative body imageDetermine associations of negative body image Identify warning signs and symptoms of negative Identify warning signs and symptoms of negative

body imagebody image Identify ways to improve body image Identify ways to improve body image

Defining Defining Body ImageBody Image

Weight: 140 lbs.

Waste size: 12

Bra size: 36 C

Weight: 114 lbs.

Waste size: 2

Bra size: 34 DD

Marilyn Monroe Pamela Anderson

Then Now

Different Ideals, Same ProblemDifferent Ideals, Same Problem

History of “Body Image”History of “Body Image”

Body Image, pre-1950Body Image, pre-1950• Referred to war-related neuropathic conditionsReferred to war-related neuropathic conditions• distorted perceptions induced by brain distorted perceptions induced by brain

(Berklow, 1997)(Berklow, 1997)• example: phantom limbexample: phantom limb

History of “Body Image”History of “Body Image”

Body Image, 1950s-TodayBody Image, 1950s-Today• Definition underwent transformation in 1950sDefinition underwent transformation in 1950s• Physiologists upgraded study of body imagePhysiologists upgraded study of body image• Contemporary concept of “body image” (BI) Contemporary concept of “body image” (BI)

is relatively new is relatively new (Cash and Pruzinsky, 1990)(Cash and Pruzinsky, 1990)

Challenging Limiting Challenging Limiting PerceptionsPerceptions

Limiting Perception: Female OnlyLimiting Perception: Female Only• Psychology/psychiatry dominate field of studyPsychology/psychiatry dominate field of study• focus on eating disorders among young womenfocus on eating disorders among young women• associate BI mostly with the weight and shape associate BI mostly with the weight and shape

of femalesof females

Challenging Limiting Challenging Limiting PerceptionsPerceptions

Limiting Perception: Female OnlyLimiting Perception: Female Only• Males also subject to BIMales also subject to BI

Governor of Governor of CaliforniaCalifornia

I am the I am the Governator!Governator!

Challenging Limiting Challenging Limiting PerceptionsPerceptions

Limiting Perception: Male vs. Female OnlyLimiting Perception: Male vs. Female Only• BI covers more than gender-specific paradigmsBI covers more than gender-specific paradigms

Challenging Limiting Challenging Limiting PerceptionsPerceptions

change in appearance due to condition or change in appearance due to condition or treatment can drastically effect person’s BItreatment can drastically effect person’s BI

• cancercancer• skin diseaseskin disease• burnburn• accidentaccident

Definition of Body ImageDefinition of Body Image

BI includes:BI includes:• perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related

toward one’s body for any reason (Cash, 2004)toward one’s body for any reason (Cash, 2004)

Determining why a positive Determining why a positive body image is important to body image is important to

overall health overall health

BehaviorBehavior Self-esteem - a personal evaluation of one’s Self-esteem - a personal evaluation of one’s

worth as a person. It measures how much you worth as a person. It measures how much you respect yourself and is directly related to body respect yourself and is directly related to body image (Eating Disorder Referral and Information image (Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center, 1995)Center, 1995)

PsychePsyche

Body image influences Body image influences

Self-esteemSelf-esteem

Physically: how happy you are with how you lookPhysically: how happy you are with how you look Intellectually: how well you feel you can Intellectually: how well you feel you can

accomplish your goalsaccomplish your goals Emotionally: how much you feel lovedEmotionally: how much you feel loved Morally: how you think of yourself as a personMorally: how you think of yourself as a person High self esteem makes for a happier life!High self esteem makes for a happier life!

Negative body imageNegative body image Satisfaction and mood plummetsSatisfaction and mood plummets Sense of self becomes unhealthySense of self becomes unhealthy Lose confidence in abilitiesLose confidence in abilities Problems in areas, including sexuality, careers and Problems in areas, including sexuality, careers and

relationships.relationships. Loss of self confidence Loss of self confidence

"To lose confidence in one's body is to lose "To lose confidence in one's body is to lose confidence in one's self" -Simone de Beauvoir confidence in one's self" -Simone de Beauvoir (Women (Women and Body Image, 2000)and Body Image, 2000)

Loss of self respectLoss of self respect Low self-esteemLow self-esteem

Body Image and Body Image and emotional health emotional health

What is emotional health? What is emotional health? (family doctor.org, 2000)(family doctor.org, 2000)• Control of thoughts, feelings and behaviorControl of thoughts, feelings and behavior• Can cope with stress and problemsCan cope with stress and problems• Keep problems in perspectiveKeep problems in perspective• Know when to seek help from Know when to seek help from

doctor/counselordoctor/counselor

Body image and Body image and emotional healthemotional health

Poor body image leads to poor emotional healthPoor body image leads to poor emotional health• Stressors: friends, boys, parents, mediaStressors: friends, boys, parents, media• Unable to keep problems in perspectiveUnable to keep problems in perspective• Body dimorphic disorderBody dimorphic disorder• Doesn’t see a doctor/counselor when sickDoesn’t see a doctor/counselor when sick• Eating disordersEating disorders• Emotionally depressedEmotionally depressed

Body image andBody image andemotional healthemotional health

Poor emotional health effects Poor emotional health effects (family doctor.org, 2000)(family doctor.org, 2000)• DistressDistress• Lowers immune system making a person Lowers immune system making a person

more susceptible to diseasemore susceptible to disease• Anxiety can lead to other complications such Anxiety can lead to other complications such

as high blood pressure as high blood pressure

Physical effect of a negative Physical effect of a negative body imagebody image

Unhealthy dietingUnhealthy dieting• AnorexiaAnorexia• BulimiaBulimia• Yo-yo dietingYo-yo dieting• Insufficient nutrientsInsufficient nutrients

Over exercisingOver exercising

(Teen Health, 2000)(Teen Health, 2000)

Determine associations of Determine associations of negative body imagenegative body image

The media The media

Socio-cultural messages: Socio-cultural messages: exposure to the thin ideal exposure to the thin ideal produces depression, shame, produces depression, shame, guilt, body dissatisfaction, and guilt, body dissatisfaction, and stressstress

Media promotes current Media promotes current mainstream culture’s mainstream culture’s standards for body shape or standards for body shape or size and importance of beautysize and importance of beauty

Media message: if you try hard Media message: if you try hard enough, spend enough, suffer enough, spend enough, suffer enough, you can have the look enough, you can have the look you want you want

The mediaThe media

Direct relationship between media exposure and Direct relationship between media exposure and eating disorder symptoms (Dittrich, 2005)eating disorder symptoms (Dittrich, 2005)

Study: 14-18 year old girls exposed to images Study: 14-18 year old girls exposed to images and then valuate themselvesand then valuate themselves

Women compare themselves to images of Women compare themselves to images of women even when they are not asked to do sowomen even when they are not asked to do so

Television and MoviesTelevision and Movies Children spend more time Children spend more time

watching TV than they do in watching TV than they do in schoolschool

American children spend 22-American children spend 22-28 hrs. a week watching TV28 hrs. a week watching TV

At age 70, Americans will have At age 70, Americans will have spent 7-10 years of their life spent 7-10 years of their life watching TVwatching TV

Television and movies Television and movies reinforce the importance of a reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of thin body as a measure of woman’s worth (Gerber, 2005)woman’s worth (Gerber, 2005)

Over 75% of female characters Over 75% of female characters on TV are underweight and on TV are underweight and only 20% are above average in only 20% are above average in sizesize

Magazines and advertisements Magazines and advertisements message of “thin is in” message of “thin is in”

In 48 issues of women’s magazines 63 diet food In 48 issues of women’s magazines 63 diet food ads were found as compared to only 1 in 48 ads were found as compared to only 1 in 48 issues of men’s magazinesissues of men’s magazines

70% of women feel more depression, self-70% of women feel more depression, self-loathing, and shame at their bodies after looking loathing, and shame at their bodies after looking at fashion magazines (Nielson, 2004)at fashion magazines (Nielson, 2004)

Over 75% of the covers of women’s magazines Over 75% of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to include at least one message about how to change a women’s bodily appearance by diet, change a women’s bodily appearance by diet, exercise, or cosmetic surgery (Gerber, 2005) exercise, or cosmetic surgery (Gerber, 2005)

PubertyPuberty

Most teens struggle with their self esteem Most teens struggle with their self esteem beginning at the onset of puberty (Rutherford, beginning at the onset of puberty (Rutherford, 2001)2001)

Unhealthy crash dieting and eating disorders Unhealthy crash dieting and eating disorders often develop around this time in girlsoften develop around this time in girls

Boys going through puberty may become Boys going through puberty may become obsessed with weight training and steroid useobsessed with weight training and steroid use

Identifying warning signs and Identifying warning signs and symptoms of negative body symptoms of negative body

image image

Warning SignsWarning Signs Sudden weight lossSudden weight loss Skipping mealsSkipping meals Eating in secretEating in secret Stomach upset or Stomach upset or

bloating following meals bloating following meals Constipation or diarrhea Constipation or diarrhea Constantly viewing Constantly viewing

themselves in themselves in comparison to otherscomparison to others

Compulsively weighing Compulsively weighing themselvesthemselves

Depression and AnxietyDepression and Anxiety Weakness or dizziness Weakness or dizziness An intolerance to coldAn intolerance to cold Frequent visits to the Frequent visits to the

bathroom after mealsbathroom after meals Fixating upon and Fixating upon and

overemphasizing certain overemphasizing certain body partsbody parts

Commenting frequently Commenting frequently on other people's on other people's appearances and/or body appearances and/or body shapesshapes

Warning Sings Cont.Warning Sings Cont.

Frequently viewing their Frequently viewing their appearances in mirrorsappearances in mirrors

Excessive or abnormal Excessive or abnormal exercise routine or dieting exercise routine or dieting excessivelyexcessively

Disordered eating habits Disordered eating habits or refusing to eat all or refusing to eat all togethertogether

Unrealistic beauty Unrealistic beauty standards: The person is standards: The person is likely to be extremely likely to be extremely critical of themselves and critical of themselves and of their peers.of their peers.

Very low self-esteemVery low self-esteem Using diet or laxative pillsUsing diet or laxative pills In females, a loss of In females, a loss of

menstruation.menstruation.

Identifying ways to improve Identifying ways to improve body image body image

Understanding an individual’s Understanding an individual’s body imagebody image

Body image is ever changing; sensitive to mood, Body image is ever changing; sensitive to mood, environment, and physical experience. environment, and physical experience. (psychotherapist, 1999)(psychotherapist, 1999)

It is a learned judgment; the learning occurs It is a learned judgment; the learning occurs from the family and peers. (psychotherapist, from the family and peers. (psychotherapist, 1999) 1999)

Genetics does play a role in your body and at Genetics does play a role in your body and at least 25% to 70% of your body is determined by least 25% to 70% of your body is determined by your genes. (Center for Change, 1995)your genes. (Center for Change, 1995)

Developing a Healthy Body Developing a Healthy Body Image Image

Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry. Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry. Exercise regularly in an enjoyable way, regardless of Exercise regularly in an enjoyable way, regardless of

size. size. Expect normal weekly and monthly changes in weight Expect normal weekly and monthly changes in weight

and shape and shape Ask for support and encouragement from friends and Ask for support and encouragement from friends and

family when life is stressful. family when life is stressful. Decide how you wish to spend your energy pursuing Decide how you wish to spend your energy pursuing

the "perfect body image" or enjoying family, friends, the "perfect body image" or enjoying family, friends, school and, most importantly, lifeschool and, most importantly, life

(psychotherapist, 1999)(psychotherapist, 1999)