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Body Image is affected by body weight
How you perceive yourself to look and how you look to others are two very different things. How you perceive yourself to look is your body image. Research shows that a healthy body image is greatly influenced by one’s body weight.
Body image is much more than our outward physical appearance and attractiveness. It is a mental creation of how we think we look. It’s how we see ourselves mentally. This is what makes it very complicated. A good body image influences one’s behavior tremendously. Body image and self esteem also go hand in hand.
Body Image Arising From Social Pressure
Body image issues arise primarily from social pressure for women to be thin and men to be lean and muscular. (Thompson et al, 1999). We all have a picture in our mind of what the ideal body should look like. When we don’t see that body in the mirror, we get dissatisfied. This results in a negative body image.
Elevated body fat levels are theorized to promote body dissatisfaction because the current ideal physique for men and women is one that is lean. This was published in a study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. The greater the degree of deviation from the ideal physique, the greater will be the ensuing body dissatisfaction. The dissatisfaction with the fat repositories is because we know deep inside that this is something within our control. We cannot influence our skin colour or the physical appearance of our face. But how much of fat we carry on our bodies is well within our control.
Male and Female Body Images Affected by Different Factors
Stephen Franzoi published in the Journal of Personality Assessment, that factors influencing body image of females differs from those affecting male body image. Male body image is influenced by the males perception of his physical attractiveness, upper body strength, and physical condition. Females body image is influenced by a woman’s perception of her sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition.
Psychology Today conducted a large body image survey in 1997. The results showed that people seem to be more discontented with their bodies than ever before. The authors of the survey were quoted as saying that there is tremendous abhorrence to areas of our bodies that can be fat repositories. Body image dissatisfaction due to being overweight is very prevalent.
The results of the survey indicated that 56% of women were overall dissatisfied with their appearance. Of the women surveyed, 71% were discontented with their abdomens, 66% with their body weight, 60% with their hips and 58% with their muscle tone. 63% of men were also dissatisfied with their abdomens, 52% with their weight, 45% with their muscle tone and 38% with their chest. The authors of the body image survey, concluded that there was a strong correlation between body weight of women and body image dissatisfaction. The heavier the women, the more dissatisfied they were with their bodies. Men also had their share of body image problems attributed to being overweight.
Very interestingly, 50% of the women and 30% of the men surveyed admitted that they smoked to control their weight. Two thirds of women said that weight gain was the main reason for them disapproving their body. Body weight apparently, contributes to 60% of our overall satisfaction with our appearance.
In a study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, the authors concluded that women typically wanted to be smaller than their actual body sizes. About 40% of the women in the study expressed moderate to strong negative feelings about both individual body parts and their bodies as a whole.
Strong Correlation Between Body Weight and Body Image
There seems to be a strong correlation between body image dissatisfaction and one’s weight. With the growing rates of obesity, it is not surprising that a great number of people have a very negative body image. One solution to the prevalent body image problem is weight loss. It must be correct weight loss via exercise and a sensible diet. Exercise has shown promise in attaining a healthy body image. Anyone dissatisfied with the appearance of their body, should take concrete steps to lose weight correctly and increase level of fitness.
Related posts:
- Weight Training Improves Body Image Significantly
- How to Measure an Attractive Body for Men – Part 3
- The Waist to Hip Ratio for an Approximate Assessment of a Well Defined Body
- How to Measure a Beautiful Body for Women
- The Beautiful Body (Part 1) – Weight Scales and BMI Can't Measure a Beautiful Body
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, generally, women are dissatisfied with almost everything… when they’re thin, they wish to gain some weight, when they’re overweight, they wish to be thin. When they have curly hair, they wanted to straighten it, but the straight-hairs want to perm it to become curly. The tan skins want fair skin, the fair skins want tan skin…. etc
I guess this is what makes the life of a woman interesting…constantly changing and can never be bored. ;p
@Suanne: You are very right on women strategies and thinking.
i have personally seen many of my frds (gals) doing the same as you said. Gals with straight hairs wants to do perm and those with curly hairs wants to get their hairs permanent straight.
Women is never satisfied with their body weight or looks as well.
That’s true. Monotony is boring. But unfortunately, it seems that how much men and women are satisfied with their bodies is determined by what they see on the weight scales. Self esteem and daily happiness tied down to a number on the scales can be quire disheartening.
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