how can we learn to love our bodies?
by Jenny Bryan
Seven-year-old Ellen squeezes an inch of flesh over the top of her jeans to show how fat she is and complains about the state of her legs:
© Getty
'I think people think I'm fat because I'm the only one in my class that has got fat legs. Everyone else has got skinny legs,' she lisps through the gap in her front teeth.
At 11, her older sister Laura is already taking action against what she sees as her fat tummy by doing step ups and sits ups at night before she goes to bed. Yet her skinny frame has yet to register any sign of the increase in body fat that goes with puberty.
Ellen and Laura's mother, Paula, claims never to have dieted seriously but, as Ellen reports, she uses slimming drinks to keep her weight down.
Six-year-old Vanessa's mum feels guilty that her daughter already worries about her 'fat' thighs when she wears a bikini and wants to lose some weight.
'I just think that my bad self image has rubbed off on my daughter and I don't know how to combat that. I don't know how to redress it and I'm really concerned for the future,' she explains.
Body dissatisfaction is now so common amongst girls and women of all ages that psychologists are beginning to question whether it's even an illness. Women who are asked to point to pictures that most closely resemble the shape and size of their body routinely pick women who are larger than themselves.
'Eighty five to ninety per cent of women overestimate their size, so can we still say that problems with body image are pathological if they affect nearly half the population?' asks Professor Glenn Waller, head of clinical psychology at St George's Hospital, London.
Dr Andrew Hill, from Leeds University Medical School, explains that body image problems are often passed down through families:
'If mum's concerned about her weight and if there are siblings who are dieting, then younger children are also likely to be shape- and weight-concerned, and dieting themselves. There's some sort of transmission within the family,' he says.
'There are five-year-olds who are acutely aware of what dieting means. It's almost like using nutrition as a scalpel. You can trim bits off your body, lose a bit of weight and achieve the body shape you want, simple by reducing the amount that you eat,' he adds.
His research shows that, from an early age, children link being fat with being unintelligent, doing less well at school, being lazy and smelly and less liked by parents. In contrast, skinny shapes are associated with being successful and attractive and having lots of friends.
the body haters
White, heterosexual women in the higher social classes, living in westernised countries are most dissatisfied with their size and shape; income, it appears, is less of a factor. Most men have largely escaped the burden of body image, though gay men record significant problems with body satisfaction and self esteem.
Exposure to images of successful, thin female actresses, models and other celebrities from an early age is widely blamed for our growing dissatisfaction with our bodies.
'Western society idealises extreme thinness and this impacts on women's body image by becoming a source of comparison for making judgments about the body,' explains Dr Sarah Grogan, principal lecturer in health psychology at Staffordshire University.
Twelve-year-old Jung has a south-east Asian appearance, yet she yearns to look like German supermodel, Claudia Schiffer. She is 7 stone and trying to lose a stone in weight by dieting, skipping, and running around the block every night until her legs hurt. She even does facial exercises to try to take weight off her face.
'I know my face doesn't look anything like Claudia Schiffer but perhaps my body could look like Claudia Schiffer if I try,' she says.
vulnerable women
A recent review of 25 studies with nearly 2,300 women confirmed that looking at pictures of thin models has a negative impact on body image compared with looking at pictures of average or large models, or inanimate objects. Women under the age of 19 and those who already felt less good about their body were worst affected by looking at the images of thin women.
In one recent body image study, half of the 219 young women who took part were rewarded with a 15-month subscription to a teen women's magazine. Overall, reading articles about losing weight and looking good had little effect on the group's body image. But those who were dissatisfied with their appearance at the start of the study felt even worse about themselves by the time they'd read 15 issues of the magazine.
'Media exposure alone won't necessarily make women dissatisfied about their body. What is important is the interaction between vulnerable people and the media,' points out Dr Hill.
Among the most vulnerable are those who mentally 'buy into' – or internalise – socially defined ideals of attractiveness which are then reinforced by peer groups, families and role models, explains Dr Hill. People who internalise the thin-ideal are more likely to be dissatisfied with their own body, to diet and to develop bulimic symptoms.
Also vulnerable are those who routinely compare themselves with people who are more attractive or thinner than themselves. These are often adolescent girls who perceive themselves as unattractive and are lacking in self esteem.
'We have a natural drive for self evaluation, but most of us want to feel good about ourselves and tend to make downward comparisons with people who have less money and do not have such a good life. Body dissatisfaction comes from continual upward comparisons with people who are more attractive and thinner,' says Dr Hill.
clues to greater resilience
Ironically, obese and overweight children who don't care how they look may be able to provide some clues to helping those whose dissatisfaction about their body makes their life a misery. Some overweight children are remarkably resilient to society's current obsession with thin, well toned bodies. They may blame their weight problem on factors beyond their control or they may discount its importance. Their perception of their size and shape may be distorted so they think they are thinner than they are. Helping vulnerable children to develop similar coping skills may make them more resilient to society's pressures to be thin.
preventing body dissatisfaction
Efforts to 'immunise' vulnerable young people against the impact of media images have focused on helping adolescents to analyse and become more aware of the messages contained in such images and to relate them to their own feelings and expectations. Such efforts may work in the short term, but the longer term outcomes are far less encouraging. Long term behavioural changes have been reported in only 3 out of 15 studies.
For example, in Australia, a school-based programme tried to improve body image and self esteem amongst mainly girls aged 11-14. Initially, attitudes improved and only 2% of girls were dieting, compared to 8% of a control group who didn't take part in the programme. But, a year later, there was a reversal, with 9% of the girls in the programme trying to lose weight compared to 6% of those in the control group.
Other studies have shown that it is possible to reduce internalisation of the thin-ideal but this doesn't automatically change body dissatisfaction.
Prevention programmes for eating disorders have produced equally mixed results and some specialists are concerned that well-meaning educational schemes in schools can do more harm than good.
'Primary prevention can introduce people to beliefs and attitudes that lead to eating disorders. They can glamorise and normalise eating disorders to young girls,' explains Dr Roz Shafran, from the department of psychiatry at Oxford University. 'If you educate people you can increase their knowledge but there is no change in their dieting and weight loss behaviour,' she adds.
Despite the disappointments, some psychologists remain optimistic that, if educational programmes are targeted towards the right population of vulnerable young girls, they should be able to change body dissatisfaction and prevent the depression and eating disorders which so often accompany it. The reality is that, as yet, there is precious little evidence that this is the case. Until more effective interventions can be developed, all the specialists can do is try to pick up the pieces after those who go on to develop anorexia or bulimia recognise that they have a problem and can be persuaded to do something about it.
help and info
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organisations
The Anna Freud Centre
21 Maresfield Gardens
London NW3 5SD
Tel: 020 7794 2313 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, answerphone available)
E-mail: info@annafreud.org
Website: www.annafreudcentre.org
Helps children and families with behavioural and emotional problems.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
BACP House
15 St John's Business Park
Lutterworth
Leicestershire LE17 4HB
Tel: 0870 443 5252 (Mon-Fri 8.45am-5pm)
E-mail: bacp@bacp.co.uk
Website: www.bacp.co.uk
BACP can provide you with a list of private counsellors in your area, plus information on counselling and choosing a counsellor.
Careline
Cardinal Heenan Centre
326 High Road
Ilford IG1 1QP
Tel: 0845 122 8622 (Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and 7-10pm)
E-mail: info@carelineuk.org
Website: www.carelineuk.org
Provides confidential telephone counselling for children, young people and adults on any issue including eating disorders, depression, loneliness, anxieties and phobias. The website has a forum and an online counselling portal.
ChildLine
Helpline: 0800 11 11 (24 hours, every day)
Textphone: 0800 400 222 (9.30am-9.30pm weekdays; 11am-8pm weekends)
Website: www.childline.org.uk
24-hour helpline for children and young people, free from landlines and mobile phones. Trained volunteer counsellors provide comfort, advice and protection. Lines can be busy so please try again if you don't get through the first time. Young people can write to the following address and don't need to use a stamp: ChildLine, Freepost NATN1111, London E1 6BR.
beat (formerly Eating Disorders Association)
103 Prince of Wales Road
Norwich NR1 1DW
Adult Helpline: 0845 634 1414 (Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Sat 1-4.30pm)
E-mail: help@b-eat.co.uk
Youthline: 0845 634 7650 (Mon-Fri 4.30-8.30pm and Sat 1-4.30pm)
E-mail: fyp@b-eat.co.uk
Website: www.b-eat.co.uk
Campaigning organisation that provides information, advice and publications on all aspects of eating disorders. Operates a UK-wide telephone helpline and a youthline for information, help and support if you're aged 18 years and under. There is also a webzine, message board and chat room on the website.
YoungMinds
48-50 St John Street
London EC1M 4DG
Tel: 020 7336 8445 (Office only, Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5.30pm)
Parents Information Service: 0800 018 2138 (Mon & Fri 10am-1pm; Tue-Thur 1-4pm and Wednesday evenings from 6pm-8pm)
E-mail: enquiries@youngminds.org.uk
Website: www.youngminds.org.uk
Campaigning to improve mental health services for children and young people and providing information to anyone with concerns about the mental health or emotional wellbeing of a child or young person. Can give details of local and national advice agencies and leaflets for young people.
websites
Food fixations
www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancyandbaby
/toddler/todnutrit/articles/0,9547,50_170350,00.html
Discusses the importance for parents to pass on the right messages about body image to their children.
How Good Is Your Body Image?
www.netdoctor.co.uk/testyourself/facts/body_image.asp
Short online test compiled by Deanne Jade, principal of The National Centre of Eating Disorders, to see what your body image is like.
Families Online: Is there too much pressure to be thin?
www.familiesonline.co.uk/article/static/259/
This article looks at how poor body image affects boys and girls and considers the causes of this.
National Centre for Eating Disorders
www.eating-disorders.org.uk
An independent organisation set up to provide solutions for all eating problems, compulsive or binge eating, 'yo-yo' dieting, bulimia and anorexia. Offers information, counselling and professional training.
National Eating Disorders Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Informative US-based site that features information on eating disorders, and includes articles on ways to improve body image and steps parents can take to help prevent eating disorders.
Weight Concern
www.weightconcern.org.uk
Aims to address the rising problem of obesity and both the physical and psychological health needs of overweight people.
Worries about weight
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/...
Aimed at young people, this factsheet from the Royal College of Psychiatrists discusses body image, eating disorders and how to have a healthy body weight.
reading
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101 Ways to Help Your Daughter Love Her Body by Brenda Lane Richardson and Elane Rehr (HarperCollins Publishers, 2001) |
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Children & Teens Afraid to Eat by Frances Berg (Healthy Weight Publishing Network, 1999) |
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Body Image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women and children by Sarah Grogan (Routledge, 1998) |
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The Body Image Workbook: An 8-step program for learning to like your looks by Thomas Cash (New Harbinger Publications, 1997) |
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Anorexics on Anorexia edited by Rosemary Shelley (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1997) |
'Development of the Children's Body Image Scale' by H Truby and S Paxton in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 41, Part: 2 (June 2002) pg 185-203. |
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'The Effect of Experimental Presentation of Thin Media Images on Body Satisfaction: A meta-analytic review' by LM Groesz and others, in International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 31 (January 2002) pg 1-16. |
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'A Preliminary Controlled Evaluation of an Eating Disturbance Psychoeducational Intervention for College Students' by E Stice and J Ragan, in International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 31 (March 2002) pg 159-171. |
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You might like to check out other features on this site which discuss eating disorders, anorexia and binge eating.
(January 2003, resources updated March 2005)
