Body image is not about how you look, but how you feel and think about the way you look, and how you imagine other people see you.
Body image is the way you see yourself and imagine how you look. Having a positive body image means that, most of the time, you see yourself accurately, you feel comfortable in your body, and you feel good about the way you look.
What shapes our body image?
- the people around us and our culture strongly influence it
- we get both positive and negative messages about our bodies from family and friends all the time — starting from when we’re very young
- we get messages about body image from television, magazines, films, and other media: many of the beliefs we have about the way women and men “should” look come from the models and celebrities we see in the media, even though models and celebrities do not look like most people
- it is also influenced by the natural aging process and our life experience – we have different feelings about our bodies when our bodies change
- our emotional state influences our body image. When work or relationships become stressful, many people notice that their body image can be affected
Source: Body Image @ plannedparenthood.org
Further help
- 0808 802 1234 (Brook – Free & confidential information for under 25s)
Read more
- Body Image @ womenshealth.gov
Excerpt: We all want to look our best, but a healthy body is not always linked to appearance. In fact, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Changing your body image means changing the way you think about your body. At the same time, healthy lifestyle choices are also key to improving body image.
- What is Body Image? @ about.com
Excerpt: Body image is psychological in nature. It is influenced by your self-esteem and self-worth and it in turn, influences your self-esteem and self-worth. It is how you percieve your physical body and how you feel other’s perceive it. It is not based in the truth, but in what you see as the truth.
image: Love Your Body by Andrea Parrish - Geyer under Creative Commons license