Few people realize that your body image plays a significant role in weight management.
What is Body Image?
Your body image is related to your cognitive perception of your body. In other words, the way you feel and think about your body. It also involves the emotions and perceptions you have about your body. More often than not, the majority of people see something that does not reflect in the mirror or how other people see them.
A Negative Body Image
A negative body image plays an unfortunate negative role in weight loss. Because of the negative body image some individuals have of their bodies, they resort to unhealthy and often abusive practices to achieve a physical weight loss goal that is often unrealistic and not achievable.
Due to this negative body image perception, people indulge in quick-fix weight loss diets. As mentioned, these methods of weight loss can range from unhealthy diets excluding vital food categories, yo-yo diets, and abusive methods such as starvation.
Poor body image often leads to people making wrong assumptions about life, for example, that a slim body will attract more wealth, or better happiness or the “lived happily ever after” romance. In the end, it all results in a vicious circle of disappointment, weight gain, and further negative perceptions of their bodies.
The Common Root for Eating Disorders
Negative body image is more often than not the root cause for serious eating disorders such as binge eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia. With the majority of patients receiving treatment for eating disorders, other mental health problems are also observed such as depression, anxiety, and low self image.
There are many cases where so-called moderate weight loss programs or constraining eating behaviors resulted in serious eating disorders with an obsessive pre-occupancy with food.
Weight Loss for the Right Reasons
Very few people follow a diet because they want to eat a wholesome well-balanced diet and ensure that they revert back into a healthy weight range for their body type. The majority of people want to lose weight because they do not feel good about themselves.
Although it is important to maintain good eating behaviors, it is important to note that wanting to lose weight for the wrong reasons can lead to depression, and physical ailments, especially when your weight is fluctuating constantly.
Social Media and Society
When we compare our bodies to what social media platforms and other media along with society portray as the ideal body shape and size, it is highly likely that we will start to suffer from a poor body image. Taking into account how the perceived ideal body image has changed over just the past ten years, it is evident that it is certainly a bad example to rely on how your body should look.
Poor Body Image = Weight Problem
The most simple way to fight the weight gain you experience as a result of a poor body image is to consult with your doctor or a trusted friend who is able to be upfront with you and able to help you to align your body image with reality.
More often than not, being overweight or ashamed is not such a major issue as many people would like to make it out to be. With only a few kilograms/pounds overweight it does not mean you are a failure or are worthless or that your life is in danger.
A trusted health practitioner will be able to tell you if your perception of your weight is accurate or not and if you need to make adjustments to your lifestyle in order to lose weight in a healthy manner for the right reasons.
What and how we think about our bodies have a tremendous effect on our weight loss or weight gain abilities. In the event where you know, you are not positive or realistic about your body image, talking to a counselor or support group would be highly recommended. Once you learn to embrace the positive attributes of yourself, you can start to work on a realistic perception of what your body can be.
A poor body image results in weight gain. When you convinced yourself that you will always be overweight it is likely that you will convince yourself there is no point in trying a healthier lifestyle. This becomes a spiraling pool of negative actions such as avoiding some exercise, feeling ashamed of your appearance, starting to avoid people and avoiding going out in public, and having contact with other people who can motivate you to reach your health goals.
It is Not Only A Women’s Thing
Poor body image and weight loss is not only a matter that affects women. In the past year, up to 11% of men older than 15 years followed some kind of diet. More and more men resort to dieting to obtain the “perfect” physique along with bodybuilding, protein supplements, or other image and muscle enhancing drugs such as steroids.
Weight Loss and Happiness
Too many people who try to reach a healthy weight range, assume that they will be happier after losing a certain amount of kilograms. It is highly likely that you will feel healthier for sure, but happier?
Regardless of what the scale says, if you are not happy now, it is unlikely that you will be happy after weight loss. Your body will change, but you will remain the person deep inside your mind.
It is possible that you might have a hard time to cope with the sudden compliments and people discussing your weight loss. There is no guarantee that weight loss will make you happy.
A positive body image will curb the harmful negative symptoms of attempted weight loss. Healthy and long term weight loss certainly does not start at the dinner table or gym. It starts with a positive, realistic mind. First, you have to start accepting yourself in a positive way instead of self-hatred, to ensure weight loss that is lasting in order to make the real changes that lead to a healthy body and mind.
Sources:
https://aaptiv.com/magazine/accepting-your-body https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6540116/ https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/your-personal-body-image-how-it-can-affect-your-weight.html https://www.sharecare.com/health/body-self-image/what-body-image-weight-loss https://psychologyofeating.com/weight-loss-improve-body-image/
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