tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/body-image-1529/articlesBody image – The Conversation2024-02-22T13:42:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2219682024-02-22T13:42:36Z2024-02-22T13:42:36ZMothers’ dieting habits and self-talk have profound impact on daughters − 2 psychologists explain how to cultivate healthy behaviors and body image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576104/original/file-20240216-20-r6kakd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3724&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mothers play an outsized role in the formation of their daughters' dietary habits.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/happy-mother-and-daughter-bonding-at-home-royalty-free-image/1429136148?phrase=mothers+and+daughters+in+kitchen&adppopup=true">andresr/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Weight loss is one of the most common health and appearance-related goals.</p>
<p>Women and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db340.htm">teen girls</a> are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db313.htm">especially likely to pursue dieting</a> to achieve weight loss goals even though a great deal of research shows that <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-thin-people-dont-understand-about-dieting-86604">dieting doesn’t work over the long term</a>. </p>
<p>We are a <a href="https://www.duck-lab.com/people">developmental psychologist</a> and a <a href="https://psy.uncg.edu/directory/ashleigh-gallagher/">social psychologist</a> who together wrote a forthcoming book, “Beyond Body Positive: A Mother’s Evidence-Based Guide for Helping Girls Build a Healthy Body Image.”</p>
<p>In the book, we address topics such as the effects of maternal dieting behaviors on daughters’ health and well-being. We provide information on how to build a foundation for healthy body image beginning in girlhood. </p>
<h2>Culturally defined body ideals</h2>
<p>Given the strong influence of social media and other cultural influences on body ideals, it’s understandable that so many people pursue diets aimed at weight loss. <a href="https://communityhealth.mayoclinic.org/featured-stories/tiktok-diets">TikTok</a>, YouTube, Instagram and celebrity websites feature slim influencers and “how-tos” for achieving those same results in no time. </p>
<p>For example, women and teens are engaging in rigid and extreme forms of exercise such as 54D, a program to <a href="https://54d.com/">achieve body transformation in 54 days</a>, or the <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/75-hard-challenge-and-rules">75 Hard Challenge</a>, which is to follow five strict rules for 75 days.</p>
<p>For teens, these pursuits are likely fueled by trendy body preoccupations such as the desire for “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/well/move/tiktok-legging-legs-eating-disorders.html?">legging legs</a>.” </p>
<p>Women and teens have also been been inundated with recent messaging around <a href="https://theconversation.com/drugs-that-melt-away-pounds-still-present-more-questions-than-answers-but-ozempic-wegovy-and-mounjaro-could-be-key-tools-in-reducing-the-obesity-epidemic-205549">quick-fix weight loss drugs</a>, which come with a lot of caveats. </p>
<p>Dieting and weight loss goals are highly individual, and when people are intensely self-focused, it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2000.19.1.70">possible to lose sight of the bigger picture</a>. Although women might wonder what the harm is in trying the latest diet, science shows that dieting behavior doesn’t just affect the dieter. In particular, for women who are mothers or who have other girls in their lives, these behaviors affect girls’ emerging body image and their health and well-being. </p>
<h2>The profound effect of maternal role models</h2>
<p>Research shows that mothers and maternal figures <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.11.001">have a profound influence on their daughters’ body image</a>. </p>
<p>The opportunity to influence girls’ body image comes far earlier than adolescence. In fact, research shows that these influences on body image <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-toxic-diet-culture-is-passed-from-moms-to-daughters">begin very early in life</a> – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2016.10.006">during the preschool years</a>. </p>
<p>Mothers may feel that they are being discreet about their dieting behavior, but little girls are watching and listening, and they are far more observant of us than many might think. </p>
<p>For example, one study revealed that compared with daughters of nondieting women, 5-year-old girls whose mothers dieted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-8223(00)00339-4">were aware of the connection between dieting and thinness</a>. </p>
<p>Mothers’ eating behavior does not just affect girls’ ideas about dieting, but also their daughters’ eating behavior. The amount of food that mothers eat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.04.018">predicts how much their daughters will eat</a>. In addition, daughters whose mothers are dieters are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.04.018">more likely to become dieters themselves</a> and are also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2007.03.001">more likely to have a negative body image</a>. </p>
<p>Negative body image is <a href="https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-documents-the-harmful-effects-of-social-media-use-on-mental-health-including-body-image-and-development-of-eating-disorders-206170">not a trivial matter</a>. It affects girls’ and women’s mental and physical well-being in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317710815">host of ways</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2011.06.009">can predict the emergence of eating disorders</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Food choice concept of young girl comparing fast food to natural and organic products." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577135/original/file-20240221-18-wdo3e8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">It’s important to avoid labeling foods as good or bad, instead focusing on a balanced diet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rudzhan Nagiev/iStock via Getty Images</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Avoiding ‘fat talk’</h2>
<p>What can moms do, then, to serve their daughters’ and their own health? </p>
<p>They can focus on small steps. And although it is best to begin these efforts early in life – in girlhood – it is never too late to do so. </p>
<p>For example, mothers can consider how they think about and talk about themselves around their daughters. Engaging in “fat talk” may inadvertently send their daughters the message that larger bodies are bad, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.07.004">contributing to weight bias</a> and negative self-image. Mothers’ fat talk also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2021.1908294">predicts later body dissatisfaction in daughters</a>. </p>
<p>And negative self-talk isn’t good for mothers, either; it is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318781943">lower motivation and unhealthful eating</a>. Mothers can instead practice and model self-compassion, which involves treating oneself the way <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.03.003">a loving friend might treat you</a>. </p>
<p>In discussions about food and eating behavior, it is important to avoid moralizing certain kinds of food by labeling them as “good” or “bad,” as girls may extend these labels to their personal worth. For example, a young girl may feel that she is being “bad” if she eats dessert, if that is what she has learned from observing the women around her. In contrast, she may feel that she has to eat a salad to be “good.” </p>
<p>Moms and other female role models can make sure that the dinner plate sends a healthy message to their daughters by showing instead that all foods can fit into a balanced diet when the time is right. Intuitive eating, which emphasizes paying attention to hunger and satiety and allows flexibility in eating behavior, is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00852-4">better physical and mental health in adolescence</a>.</p>
<p>Another way that women and especially moms can buffer girls’ body image is by helping their daughters <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.12.009">to develop media literacy</a> and to think critically about the nature and purpose of media. For example, moms can discuss the misrepresentation and distortion of bodies, such as the use of filters to enhance physical appearance, on social media. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three young girls sitting close together, each holding a smart phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577137/original/file-20240221-18-yucv2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Social media filters can lead to distorted body ideals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/group-of-friends-using-their-phones-royalty-free-image/843840202?phrase=social+media+young+girls&adppopup=true">Flashpop/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Focusing on healthful behaviors</h2>
<p>One way to begin to focus on health behaviors rather than dieting behaviors is to develop respect for the body and to <a href="https://theconversation.com/body-neutrality-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help-lead-to-more-positive-body-image-191799">consider body neutrality</a>. In other words, prize body function rather than appearance and spend less time thinking about your body’s appearance. Accept that there are times when you may not feel great about your body, and that this is OK. </p>
<p>To feel and look their best, mothers can aim to stick to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-diet-for-healthy-sleep-a-nutritional-epidemiologist-explains-what-food-choices-will-help-you-get-more-restful-zs-219955">healthy sleep schedule</a>, manage their stress levels, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fiber-is-your-bodys-natural-guide-to-weight-management-rather-than-cutting-carbs-out-of-your-diet-eat-them-in-their-original-fiber-packaging-instead-205159">eat a varied diet</a> that includes all of the foods that they enjoy, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-runners-high-may-result-from-molecules-called-cannabinoids-the-bodys-own-version-of-thc-and-cbd-170796">move and exercise their bodies regularly</a> as lifelong practices, rather than engaging in quick-fix trends. </p>
<p>Although many of these tips sound familiar, and perhaps even simple, they become effective when we recognize their importance and begin acting on them. Mothers can work toward modeling these behaviors and tailor each of them to their daughter’s developmental level. It’s never too early to start. </p>
<h2>Promoting healthy body image</h2>
<p>Science shows that several personal characteristics are associated with body image concerns among women. </p>
<p>For example, research shows that women who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.001">higher in neuroticism</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-2974-1-2">and perfectionism</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983534">lower in self-compassion</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.08.001">lower in self-efficacy</a> are all more likely to struggle with negative body image. </p>
<p>Personality is frequently defined as a person’s characteristic pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But if they wish, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/per.1945">mothers can change personality characteristics</a> that they feel aren’t serving them well. </p>
<p>For example, perfectionist tendencies – such as setting unrealistic, inflexible goals – can be examined, challenged and replaced with more rational thoughts and behaviors. A woman who believes she must work out every day can practice being more flexible in her thinking. One who thinks of dessert as “cheating” can practice resisting moral judgments about food. </p>
<p>Changing habitual ways of thinking, feeling and behaving certainly takes effort and time, but it is far more likely than diet trends to bring about sustainable, long-term change. And taking the first steps to modify even a few of these habits can positively affect daughters.</p>
<p>In spite of all the noise from media and other cultural influences, mothers can feel empowered knowing that they have a significant influence on their daughters’ feelings about, and treatment of, their bodies. </p>
<p>In this way, mothers’ modeling of healthier attitudes and behaviors is a sound investment – for both their own body image and that of the girls they love.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221968/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Adopting healthy behaviors and thought patterns around food and nutrition takes time and intentional effort. But it will lead to more lasting change and positive outcomes than quick-fix dieting will.Janet J. Boseovski, Professor of Psychology, University of North Carolina – GreensboroAshleigh Gallagher, Senior Lecturer, University of North Carolina – GreensboroLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226052024-02-05T19:09:57Z2024-02-05T19:09:57ZNo more BMI, diets or ‘bad’ foods: why changing how we teach kids about weight and nutrition is long overdue<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573335/original/file-20240205-15-7h4xks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6803%2C4419&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/education-question-group-children-classroom-raise-2337136275">PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>How many of us recall having to calculate our body-mass index (BMI) as children at school, prompting comparisons of our weight with that of our peers? Or perhaps we remember references to calories and diets in the classroom.</p>
<p>Now, the <a href="https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-curriculum-connection/food-and-wellbeing">Australian curriculum</a> is changing how children and young people are educated about their bodies and what they eat, in a bid to prevent eating disorders. </p>
<p>Hundreds of references to terms including BMI, weight, calories and diets have been <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/diets-bmi-and-bad-foods-axed-eating-disorders-prompt-curriculum-overhaul-20240131-p5f1bp.html">removed from school resources</a> by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, replaced with terminology such as “balanced nutrition”.</p>
<p>As a clinical psychologist specialising in the treatment of children and young people with <a href="https://www.australianacademicpress.com.au/books/details/352/Eating_Disorders_A_Practitioners_Guide_to_Psychological_Care">body image and eating disorders</a>, I welcome these changes. Given what we know about the links between weight stigma and the development of eating disorders, they’re long overdue.</p>
<h2>Weight stigma starts early</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.worldobesity.org/what-we-do/our-policy-priorities/weight-stigma">Weight stigma</a> and <a href="https://butterfly.org.au/diet-culture-101/">diet culture</a> are rife in our society. </p>
<p>People will often use words such as “fat” and “guilt” to cast shame over their own or others’ body size and food choices. On the flip side, the latest diets and other weight loss techniques are regularly hot topics of conversation among friends and colleagues.</p>
<p>Evidence shows this sort of talk around children and young people can be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079337/">very damaging</a>, in some cases contributing to the development of disordered eating. So in the school environment we need to be especially mindful of the language we use around people’s bodies and food.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-3-factors-predict-a-childs-chance-of-obesity-in-adolescence-and-no-its-not-just-their-weight-124994">These 3 factors predict a child's chance of obesity in adolescence (and no, it's not just their weight)</a>
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<p>Children learn about their bodies and nutrition when they start school, and this can be where a lot of misinformation (such as being fearful of certain foods because they’re deemed to be “bad” for us) and stigma begins. Peer teasing for size, weight and shape is common and <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/risk-factors/">increases the risk</a> of a child or young person developing an eating disorder. </p>
<p>I treat many adults who have severe <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/disordered-eating-and-dieting">eating disorders</a> partly as a result of growing up in a society that overvalues thinness, promotes dieting for weight loss, and shames people who are overweight or obese. Much of this appears to have come from the influences of their schooling.</p>
<h2>Fostering positive body image</h2>
<p>We’ve known for a long time that <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/preventing-eating-disorders/prevention-programs">early intervention</a> through educating our children about well-being and positive mental health strategies is important to reduce the incidence of severe mental health conditions. </p>
<p>For <a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-023-00758-3">eating disorders</a> specifically, positive role modelling by adults around how we talk about our own and others’ <a href="https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/no-bodys-perfect-a-helpers-guide-to-promoting-positive-body-image">bodies</a> is crucial. </p>
<p>This can include describing people for their interests and qualities rather than their appearance, and teaching children about gratitude and respect towards each other.</p>
<p>Research shows learning about body acceptance and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35878528/">appreciation</a> is important for both males and females in developing a positive body image. Those children and young people who have a positive relationship with their bodies and food are much less likely to develop <a href="https://nedc.com.au/assets/NEDC-Resources/NEDC-Resource-Schools.pdf">eating disorders</a>. </p>
<p>Teachers have an important role in educating our children about body respect and having a healthy relationship with their bodies and eating.</p>
<p>This can be achieved through actions including avoiding comments about <a href="https://edfa.org.au/eating-disorders/how-to-prevent-eating-disorders/">people’s appearances</a>, talking about food for its function in our bodies, and not attaching moral values (such as “good” or “bad”) to the foods we eat. Indeed, the curriculum overhaul warns teachers <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/diets-bmi-and-bad-foods-axed-eating-disorders-prompt-curriculum-overhaul-20240131-p5f1bp.html">against using these descriptors</a>.</p>
<h2>How to talk about food with kids</h2>
<p>Learning about the importance of feeding our bodies and listening to our body’s needs is important for children.</p>
<p>We need to talk about food for its function in our bodies (such as carbohydrates for energy and fats for our brain). We should talk about foods we eat to help us concentrate and fuel our bodies as well as making us strong and helping us feel well. </p>
<p>The curriculum changes appear to be designed to connect nutrition to physical and mental health in these ways.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/using-bmi-to-measure-your-health-is-nonsense-heres-why-180412">Using BMI to measure your health is nonsense. Here's why</a>
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<p>Food should also be presented as an enjoyable and a social activity (for example, sharing food with others).</p>
<p>Everyone’s appetite is different at different times and that’s OK. Helping children understand how to respond to their appetite and knowing when they’re hungry and full is important, as we know this helps with issues such as restrictive and binge eating, two common <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders">disordered eating behaviours</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young girl eats vegetables." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573344/original/file-20240205-25-wkdls6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The way we talk to kids about food is important from an early age.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-girl-eating-fresh-green-vegetables-1845587296">Maples Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Everyone has a role</h2>
<p>Hopefully we are on the way to saying goodbye to the harm of <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/weight-stigma">weight stigma</a> and diet talk in schools. </p>
<p>The biggest challenge is that we live in an appearance-obsessed world with a diet culture and many people have a fixed way of thinking about food and bodies that’s hard to shift. As adults we have to work really hard to be better role models. </p>
<p>While teachers play a crucial role, children also need other adults to go to who make them feel understood and accepted. Being a positive role model means listening to children’s concerns, and being be mindful of the way you talk about yours and others’ <a href="https://www.australianacademicpress.com.au/books/details/219/Positive_Bodies_Loving_the_Skin_Youre_In">bodies</a>, as well as the sort of language you use around eating and food.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Vivienne Lewis works for the University of Canberra and runs her own Clinical Psychology practice. </span></em></p>A clinical psychologist who treats young people with eating disorders gives her verdict on changes to the Australian curriculum designed to prevent these mental health conditions developing.Vivienne Lewis, Assistant professor – Psychology, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223322024-02-02T12:54:32Z2024-02-02T12:54:32ZBody appreciation has been linked to better sexual and life satisfaction – here’s how to cultivate it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572479/original/file-20240131-29-2mjf8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4683%2C3122&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/studio-shot-gorgeous-charming-young-afro-1155721477">shurkin_son/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>These days it’s hard to miss the body positivity movement. But love and respect for the body isn’t new and wasn’t invented by the west. Indeed, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523001079">global research</a> I’ve collaborated on has found that body appreciation is understood and experienced the same way all over the world – even if we did find large differences in levels of body appreciation between different countries.</p>
<p>But first, it’s important to understand what body image and body appreciation mean in psychology. </p>
<p>Body image is the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144503000111?casa_token=Rcq1wAg3bqcAAAAA:f6JSlomsBkh7fYCH6Yag5hLvYnafoWebugkvXRK85GZlULveHK0gBJzWsf2y8CwW9PGkwubb">“inside view”</a> that you have of yourself. Historically, body image research was focused on <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Body_Image.html?id=qZN7w2kXxtoC&redir_esc=y">negative aspects</a>, such as appearance anxiety or clinical conditions including <a href="https://theconversation.com/body-dysmorphic-disorder-what-to-know-about-this-mental-health-condition-206243">body dysmorphic disorder</a>. Over the past two decades, however, the study of <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?uid=106235092810786544912&hl=en">positive body image</a> has gained momentum. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144515000340?casa_token=HiHQiavOgksAAAAA:NXZa-jEUfgzgmx-5mjDWC5HNKi8-gBprj9gf9i3cTH1xVTJKo7p2MIe__QPaHj6VwpEY8PT6">different forms</a> of positive body image, but perhaps the <a href="https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144520300474?casa_token=ygYRkOBgPKcAAAAA:pxkPRRghn1PAtCBA4Ow0hPA3p2FqWMNSTXHbUFD4xERixIJ2uMBbuX8uz7lgF3C52jOXvl62">most important</a> and most widely studied is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144505000549?casa_token=smBg8epwDQkAAAAA:FIZ1Jm46W_9a4QLtd2J4F25svCWato7fWqc6Yl6hZ61KtzUcTj8RxTjlXgKvxuOLA8WAEH6-">body appreciation</a>.</p>
<p>People who have high <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144514001314?casa_token=WZfrvT-P7iAAAAAA:8TrD7-T-Y_bEq_DHadfOShff9flnsuJoylbPpo4bb_yKkG1odjUKiOefja52JB5b4XMASkq4">body appreciation</a> are more likely to appreciate the unique characteristics of, and be attentive to the needs of, their bodies. These people also tend to reject narrow appearance ideals as the only form of human beauty.</p>
<p>Body positivity is a movement that promotes positive views of all bodies, whereas body appreciation is an inner relationship to your own body. </p>
<h2>Body appreciation in diverse populations</h2>
<p>Body appreciation is usually measured by researchers using the <a href="https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144514001314?casa_token=ekHCya4IqJgAAAAA:IuoczNLUI1esS6dY_hsgvjM12uM42XGdffWQ_g9D-xL0ry_ODe-OVeIVMx10FXnHz4kU4m0X">Body Appreciation Scale-2</a> (BAS-2), which includes statements such as “I respect my body” and “I feel love for my body”. An important question for scientists is whether the BAS-2 measures body appreciation in the same way for different groups of people.</p>
<p>To answer this question, my colleagues and I in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144521001479?casa_token=4eSxw6YJpYwAAAAA:Ce9M7-G-7MvvDeGWbLFhBRCE_bUAzoSGvsDGbseUMfIlo7mlXBmAqvDAFIv0SxZsYpMCpIxB">Body Image in Nature Survey</a> – a consortium of 253 international scientists – asked participants from 65 countries speaking 40 different languages to complete the BAS-2. In one of the largest studies ever conducted on body image, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523001079">we found that</a> the BAS-2 was understood in the same way across all communities. </p>
<p>Other studies have found that the BAS-2 is understood in much the same way across <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144519300051?casa_token=FoDuRk7F0HsAAAAA:zPIZV3WvXM5QIw-WTNvZiaRJpCy7xHSHuKFWecip6v4XqD-j0lPrp1HdhmU0wxL0NN434Z-b">sexual orientations</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144522001619?casa_token=xDM7c7twgL4AAAAA:zySjQRSspG591XMxdENskl2Zi7htGIPH1mZGeFfGwZ5Pf7MzPzDLJHD1U8qjdH0foQG8NAzQ">gender identities</a>. This means that body appreciation can be considered a good example of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523001079">positive phenomenon</a>, much like feelings of happiness and life satisfaction. </p>
<p>It also means scientists can compare levels of body appreciation across diverse communities. In our cross-national study, we found large differences in body appreciation across countries – with Malta, Taiwan and Bangladesh having the highest overall scores, and Australia, India and the UK having the lowest. One possibility, supported by our findings, is that greater <a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/full/10.1027/1016-9040/a000150">cultural distance</a> from westernised contexts allows people to disentangle their self-worth from their physical appearance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man hugging himself" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572482/original/file-20240131-23-uux6bh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Men seem to have greater body appreciation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-portrait-confident-smiling-man-holding-1185172897">Koldunov/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other work has shown that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144519302682?casa_token=t8JgoBGb3VcAAAAA:H01FPO4TIFt_r049R5V6OM369cHQrQuagSvHB1Id3UBh09m6sydbf1KXwSq6BTg3YLD_ihj0">men tend to</a> have higher body appreciation than women, and that body appreciation <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00864/full">increases with age</a>. It may be that men and older people tend to experience less pressure to attain prescriptive appearance ideals. </p>
<h2>When does it start?</h2>
<p>Experiences of body appreciation often develop early in life. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144510000392?via%3Dihub">interviews with</a> Swedish adolescents who were satisfied with their appearance found that they accepted their physical imperfections. These adolescents seemed to appreciate what the body is able to do, rather than what it looks like.</p>
<p>Social contexts in which people can feel <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144510000392?casa_token=-miXs9MkqoMAAAAA:ZKJPa1RyQnACaXiGeTELhgYUHeoj39zcWM3rcoo15MvwAZbd-vtdxPmmu6nIQr04OE7z_zVt">acceptance</a> and belonging – such as supportive friends and encouraging romantic partners – are crucial for the early development of body appreciation.</p>
<p>In these and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2020.1820008">other interviews</a>, participants typically say that excelling in physical or other activities, such as singing or exploring one’s sexuality, helped them develop feelings of agency and body appreciation.</p>
<h2>Why is body appreciation important?</h2>
<p>There are many reasons why developing body appreciation is beneficial. For example, greater body appreciation is reliably associated with heathier eating styles. It also <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eat.23623">reduces the likelihood</a> of experiencing symptoms of eating disorders, including binge eating and restrictive eating.</p>
<p>Body appreciation is also associated with more positive mental health. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144522001188?casa_token=2bjXatdH_HYAAAAA:31bo00_Y40681Sc9PG_00GtizDH8IwsBydqU4iyi7jgqLjiVYCULtVMaYKW9oGa3KySu7QMR">A 2022 review</a> of 240 papers found that higher levels of body appreciation were associated with greater self-compassion and life satisfaction, as well as fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. </p>
<p>Greater body appreciation is also associated with healthier lifestyle choices. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/hsw/article-abstract/47/2/113/6545786?login=false">Another 2022 review</a> of nine studies with mostly western participants found that body appreciation was associated with less health-compromising behaviour, including risky sexual activity and alcohol abuse. </p>
<p>Other research has found that greater body appreciation provides a strong foundation for developing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-016-0924-y">more liberal</a>, sex-positive attitudes, as well as more <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144511001392?casa_token=OCvTjI85jyAAAAAA:mnkqaPRcSMtDm_PmS8n_U-iriCtR4NHkvZun5f4tunrqKtoinVkF0ewQaGk-gvB3rLrAxhc8">positive sexual experiences</a> including sexual satisfaction. Additionally, greater body appreciation is associated with more positive <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144521000590?casa_token=61aKNFuGM7QAAAAA:RemC29eWnv6CzVNoeLntgHGX1O85zpyNm6ht427yzumo7ZFhDo-uNtwYPZvjJ1eJXbuCyEF1">attitudes toward breastfeeding</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518303826?casa_token=I_d4xJ4iOBMAAAAA:Uvx7zgJw5Fd_L7n92KLQR2wi7pxfWq4CZJLQp1FzIN3sxfgE4s58i4EFmeiHcybeuyx4fQUM">stronger motivation</a> to engage in physical activity. </p>
<h2>Promoting body appreciation</h2>
<p>What all of these studies suggest is that greater body appreciation can provide a strong platform for all manner of positive behaviour and attitudes. When people appreciate their bodies, they are more likely to be attentive to their bodily needs and feel more connected to their bodies. This, in turn, motivates a desire to maintain good mental and physical health.</p>
<p>For children and adolescents, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518302304?casa_token=aVbNDtU_ZCkAAAAA:pmzMu2Ndjz4uOHm4YSIMzUC92aZDY_n4nEmODtlcdOqbUNp6GhEq0aKMBKTKDeBq7NJKmx_R">yoga</a> and physical activity are beneficial, and there are also <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-023-01543-2">picture books</a> that can help children understand what body appreciation looks and feels like. </p>
<p>For adults, many embodying activities – things that promote a sense of inhabiting our bodies – can promote body appreciation. Examples include <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10465-012-9129-7">dance</a> and other forms of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518303097?casa_token=TZGsMBmiNy4AAAAA:IBw6pRH0J-yO6bcs0V_EMA-cWbtCXKoPM6kWjedOLopU1TNU7jxLxzR7CDY890VNvi3kc-7l">physical activity</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144516303941?casa_token=R52dpn3A2zkAAAAA:qsMZ14_ZfpqvbPH851KmZXJE-I9mJJu5l-yzZXgkqCSfH3dol0XnRHbTO7AYuoEilIIcI5JP">life drawing</a>, and even just going for a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144517304321?casa_token=huFR7mgR7iUAAAAA:u81n-oTXJzPpB92fGuKVXG0P6SaLmhT3nMXy5l1WtVV7q-qh1v0ID_dFP4OivqrA0qzb1d4A">walk in nature</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222332/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Viren Swami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Greater body appreciation is also closely tied to other aspects of wellbeing, such as fewer symptoms of depression.Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180792024-01-31T13:35:29Z2024-01-31T13:35:29ZEating disorders are the most lethal mental health conditions – reconnecting with internal body sensations can help reduce self-harm<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572227/original/file-20240130-29-zz41uv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2121%2C1412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An increased disconnect from your body can make it easier to harm yourself, whether by disordered eating or suicide.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/high-angle-view-of-worried-woman-sitting-on-bed-royalty-free-image/1252672806">Maskot/Maskot via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Did you know that anorexia is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20904">most lethal mental health condition</a>? One person dies from an eating disorder <a href="https://uncexchanges.org/2020/09/07/every-52-minutes-new-report-released-on-the-social-and-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders-in-the-united-states/">every hour</a> in the U.S. Many of these deaths are not from health consequences related to starvation, but from suicide.</p>
<p>Up to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.12925">1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men</a> in the U.S. will develop an eating disorder by age 40, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2023.2196492">1 in 2 people</a> with an eating disorder will think about ending their life. About 1 in 4 people with <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders">anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa</a> will attempt to kill themselves, and those with anorexia have a risk of death by suicide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01641.x">31 times higher</a> than peers without the disorder.</p>
<p>In fact, nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide deaths are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2023.2196492">all more prevalent</a> among those with any type of eating disorder compared to those without an eating disorder. </p>
<p>Why might that be?</p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YZdGYOIAAAAJ&hl=en">clinical psychologist</a> who studies eating disorders and self-harm, and I have spent the past 15 years researching this question. We still don’t have the answer. But new work on perception of the internal state of the body points to some promising possibilities for treatment. And what we’re learning could help anyone improve their relationship with their body.</p>
<h2>Eating disorders and interoception</h2>
<p>To understand why people with eating disorders are at risk of dying by suicide, I first want to ask you to do a little thought exercise. </p>
<p>I’d like you to really think about your body: Think about your hair, face, arms, stomach, chest and legs. What words and feelings come to mind? Are there any things you wish you could change? Feel free to close your eyes and try this out.</p>
<p>I’m guessing as you did this thought exercise, you probably weren’t thinking, “Every part of my body is amazing. Five stars, wouldn’t change a thing!” In fact, many people tend to have pretty <a href="https://theconversation.com/body-image-issues-are-rising-in-men-research-suggests-techniques-to-improve-it-219451">negative and</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2201">highly critical thoughts</a> about their bodies.</p>
<p>Here’s another question for you: What do you do with things you don’t like? For instance, what do you do when you encounter someone you dislike, a food you can’t stand or an overwhelming list of chores? Do you care for or accept them? Probably not. Most people tend to avoid, despise or criticize the things they don’t like. This allows them to separate and disconnect themselves from these loathed things.</p>
<p>But when you think negatively about and try to avoid your body, you end up <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.03.017">disconnecting from it</a> and losing the ability to understand what’s going on inside your body. You start to see it not as your body but as an object.</p>
<p>That ability to recognize, interpret and respond to internal signals in your body actually has a name: <a href="https://theconversation.com/interoception-the-sixth-sense-we-use-to-read-hidden-signals-from-our-body-podcast-220863">interoception</a>, also known as the sixth sense. It refers to your ability to recognize, interpret and respond to a variety of bodily sensations, such as emotions, hunger and fullness, temperature and pain. </p>
<p>Interoception can be divided into various components, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1981.tb02486.x">interoceptive accuracy</a>, or how accurately you notice various internal sensations, can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.11.004">measured in various ways</a>. These include psychophysiological measures like a heartbeat perception test, which compares a person’s perceived number of heartbeats without taking their pulse to their actual number of heartbeats over a period of time. People with greater discrepancies between their perceived and actual heartbeat counts are thought to be worse at sensing cardiac sensations and thus have worse interoception.</p>
<h2>Interoception and health</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.redslab.org/">My research</a> over the past decade has found that the worse your interoception is, the more disconnected you are from your body and the less aware you are of what’s going on inside it. And the more disconnected you are from your body, the easier it becomes to harm yourself, whether that be through an eating disorder or suicidal behaviors. </p>
<p>Interoception is crucial to understanding and caring for your body. For instance, you need to be able to perceive hunger and fullness in order to properly nourish yourself. If you were unable to perceive pain, you might end up hurting yourself. And you need to be able to understand the emotions you’re feeling in order to respond adaptively to different situations. </p>
<p>Research suggests that interoception is integrally related to mental and physical health, and impaired interoception is considered a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.12.004">risk factor</a> for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095617">various mental disorders</a>. For example, if you are unable to sense when you’re hungry or full, that could lead to restrictive or binge eating. Conversely, if you are hyperaware of your internal sensations, such as your heart rate and breathing, that could lead to panic disorder symptoms.</p>
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<p>As you lose connection with your body, it becomes easier to harm your body as an object you’ve grown to loathe. Research from my team has found that people who have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000074">attempted suicide</a> have worse interoception than people who haven’t, and people who have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2018.1418243">attempted suicide multiple times</a> have worse interoception than those who have only attempted suicide once. People with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12603">more recent</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114210">and lethal</a> suicide attempts have worse interoception than those with more distant or less lethal attempts.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12603">Impairment in interocepton</a> is more strongly associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than other risk factors like hopelessness, gender and post-traumatic stress.</p>
<h2>Reconnecting with the body</h2>
<p>But many people weren’t always this disconnected from their bodies.</p>
<p>I have two young kids who are learning what their bodies can do and are finding their bodies more and more amazing. My 7-year-old son and his friends are delighted when they do gymnastics, standing on one foot or walking across a balance beam. And my daughter, almost 3 now, loves her round tummy: She proudly sticks it out and plays it like a drum. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.bodyim.2012.09.001">Young kids haven’t yet learned</a> to talk to their bodies in the harsh way many teens and adults do. They haven’t begun to disconnect from their inner senses.</p>
<p>To reduce self-harm, I encourage you to try to regain a sense of connection and care for not only your body but also the bodies of those you love. This isn’t easy, but researchers are studying multiple ways to improve interoception. </p>
<p>For instance, my team has developed a training program to improve interoception called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12994">Reconnecting to Internal Sensations and Experiences</a>, or RISE. First, we educate participants about interoception and the importance of cultivating awareness of internal sensations for improved mental and physical health. </p>
<p>Then we teach them to bring attention to their muscles through <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/progressive-muscle-relaxation">progressive muscle relaxation</a> techniques and to <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-eat-with-your-eyes-your-gut-or-your-brain-a-neuroscientist-explains-how-to-listen-to-your-hunger-during-the-holidays-217990">hunger and fullness cues</a> through mindful and intuitive eating.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Person lying on back with eyes closed" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572239/original/file-20240130-19-zfxw2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Relaxing the body can help bring attention to sensation from the muscles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/power-nap-is-just-what-i-need-royalty-free-image/1187591660">Delmaine Donson/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After that, we introduce participants to the concept of <a href="https://theconversation.com/8-ways-to-manage-body-image-anxiety-after-lockdown-162224">body functionality</a> by asking them to think of what their bodies can do rather than evaluating their bodies on appearance. For instance, rather than thinking, “I’m getting fat” or “I’m too old” or “I’m too slow,” they can think, “My legs helped get me out of bed today” or “My arms allow me to hug those I love” or “This scar demonstrates my body’s ability to heal.” This is important because body image is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.10.004">linked to multiple aspects</a> of interoceptive awareness.</p>
<p>Finally, we teach participants about recognizing their emotions and changing their behaviors. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2011.00717.x">Emotional awareness</a> is a core component of interoception, so we ask participants to think about where they feel those emotions in their body, how they can distinguish between certain emotions, and how they can more effectively respond to stress. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sapiens.org/culture/kichwa-body-positivity/">Consumer culture</a> doesn’t tend to promote listening to your body, so relearning how to do this may take time and dedicated practice. But I believe the rewards can be literally lifesaving.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218079/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>April Smith receives funding from the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Health. </span></em></p>Many people with eating disorders die from suicide. Improving perception of internal body states, or interoception, can help everyone better care for their own bodies.April Smith, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences, Auburn UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2217242024-01-31T04:41:41Z2024-01-31T04:41:41Z‘Looksmaxxing’ is the disturbing TikTok trend turning young men into incels<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572323/original/file-20240131-25-x809b1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C57%2C5381%2C3579&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A new trend <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/looksmaxxing?lang=en">taking over TikTok</a> is targeting vulnerable young men. The “looksmaxxing” phenomenon – to maximise one’s looks – is aimed at young men and boys who want to change their appearance to become more attractive and gain social acceptance.</p>
<p>Unhappy with their appearance, teenage boys and young men scrolling the app are directed to chat rooms where they’re instructed to upload photos in exchange for advice.</p>
<p>It begins with “<a href="https://drpaulcoceancig.com.au/navigating-the-pitfalls-of-looksmaxxing-a-surgeons-take-on-cosmetic-trends-in-the-age-of-social-media/">softmaxxing</a>”. This includes basic hygiene such as teeth brushing and whitening, removal of face and body hair, and “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/looksmaxxing-softmaxxing-mewing-self-improvement-experiment-toxic-dangerous-2023-11">mewing</a>” (tongue exercises that supposedly help tone facial muscles).</p>
<p>This progresses to “<a href="https://www.dailydot.com/news/looksmaxxing-trend-men/">hardmaxxing</a>”, which is to improve one’s appearance by any means necessary. More extreme measures include:</p>
<ul>
<li>steroid use</li>
<li>hair transplants and plastic surgery</li>
<li>using pumps for penis stretching</li>
<li>removing ribs for a sculpted waist</li>
<li>“<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/93kz73/looksmaxing-mewing-bone-smashing-trend">bone-smashing</a>”, which involves using hammers to break bones in the face to look more masculine</li>
<li>“starvemaxxing”, which encourages extreme dieting and eating disorders</li>
<li>“whitemaxxing”, which involves using creams to present as more White</li>
<li>and “edgemaxxing”, which is <a href="https://www.purewow.com/family/looksmaxxing-parent-opinion">described as</a> “withholding climaxing in order to boost testosterone to improve appearance”. </li>
</ul>
<p>Looksmaxxing may appear harmless, encouraging self-care, exercise and healthy eating. But at its core it has ties to <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/rob-has-stood-up-350-women-on-dates-he-says-incels-are-getting-revenge/zwocc61rr">violence</a>, <a href="https://www.qualitativecriminology.com/pub/z1961qto/release/1">suicide</a> and <a href="https://www.qualitativecriminology.com/pub/z1961qto/release/1">incels</a> (involuntary celibates) – men who blame women for their struggles with establishing romantic or sexual relationships.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@baxate_carter/video/7275754624727125294?lang=en"}"></div></p>
<h2>A click away from the incel rabbit hole</h2>
<p>Looksmaxxing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10610-023-09559-5?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news">videos on TikTok</a> have amassed many millions of views. </p>
<p>They pull young boys and men into a dark subculture of incels. Incel and extremist content is suggested to users on multiple platforms including <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10610-023-09559-5?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news">TikTok</a> Instagram and Youtube.</p>
<p>Within minutes, TikTok users may be bombarded with <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjv4jw/tiktok-incels-targeting-young-users">videos that promote</a> suicide and gendered hate speech. One 2021 research report found young <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3479556">YouTube users</a> will sometimes be suggested incel-related videos by YouTube’s algorithm within just five hops when starting from a non incel-related video. </p>
<h2>‘Hunter’ versus ‘prey’ eyes</h2>
<p>Male model <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-16/incels-plastic-surgery-for-face-improvement-misogyny-remains/11205336">Jordan Barrett</a> has become an envied idol for men and boys following the looksmaxxing trend. </p>
<p>Many looksmaxxers believe having his “hunter eyes” with a positive canthal tilt (the canthal is the angle between the inner and outer corner of the eye), along with pursed lips and hollow cheeks, translates to a dominating stare women can’t possibly resist.</p>
<p>On anonymous incel forums, young men are trained to calculate their “sexual market value”. If they’re deemed below average, they’re bullied, accused of being “bitches who are feminine, weak and submissive, too ugly to live” and told to take their own lives.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@dillon.latham/video/7261997730506263854?q=looksmaxxing\u0026t=1706659777909"}"></div></p>
<h2>The Bateman effect</h2>
<p>At the apex of the incel beauty tower is the character <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/sigma-grindset-tiktok-trend-2022">Patrick Bateman</a> from the 2000 satire-thriller American Psycho. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/style/looksmaxxing-tik-tok-dillon-latham.html">Bateman</a> is known by incels as a superior <a href="https://www.massivemagazine.org.nz/articles/sigmamale">“sigma” male</a>: a lone wolf and capitalist hustler who attracts money-hungry women. </p>
<p>In fact, he is shallow, manipulative, misogynistic and extremely violent. This sociopathic ideal resonates with many incels. Other characters idolised by incels include <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/fight-club-far-right-incels-david-fincher-responds-1235773001/">Tyler Durden</a> from Fight Club and Joaquin Phoenix’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/9/18/20860890/joker-movie-controversy-incel-sjw">Joker</a>. </p>
<p>Incels who feel they are misunderstood and demoralised by women also look to self-proclaimed powerful male influencers with perceived “social status”, such as <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/1/4/23539528/andrew-tate-arrest-jail-rape-human-trafficking">Andrew Tate</a>, for solace. Alongside messages about fitness, financial gain and self-improvement, Tate is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star">openly misogynistic</a> and suggests it’s socially acceptable to indulge in violent desires against women. </p>
<p>This false representation of <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2023/11/16/1386296/tackling-toxic-masculinity-in-australia-we-cant-afford-to-get-this-wrong">masculinity</a> creates a sense of entitlement in men who believe they are repressed. This can then be used as fuel for <a href="https://ad-aspi.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/2023-08/Incels%20in%20Australia_1.pdf?VersionId=QW06l5bfjXbJlspQv0l02MbhoRe4rPhk">gender-based violence</a>, <a href="https://www.spectatornews.com/campus-news/2020/03/jackson-katz-flips-the-narrative-on-gender-violence/">femicide</a>, <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4032043">copycat crimes</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1557085119896415?journalCode=fcxa">mass killings</a>.</p>
<p>Bateman and incel ideology influenced self-proclaimed incel and mass shooter <a href="https://theconversation.com/elliot-rodger-when-sexual-rejection-turns-deadly-27205">Elliot Rodger</a>. In 2014, Rodger carried out a deadly mass shooting and stabbing spree in Isla Vista, California, killing six people. He blamed women for his celibacy and wanted to seek revenge by killing them. </p>
<p>Many misogynist incels now hail him as a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43892189">hero</a>. Some men <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/misogynist-incels-and-male-supremacism/red-pill-to-black-pill/">use his initials claiming</a> they want to “go ER” or “be a hERo”, implying they’re ready to commit mass murder.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://ad-aspi.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/2023-08/Incels%20in%20Australia_1.pdf?VersionId=QW06l5bfjXbJlspQv0l02MbhoRe4rPhk">2023 report</a> from the Australia Strategic Policy Centre highlights concerning incel content online. One user says “women should be stripped of their rights because they still have primitive minds that need to be tamed”. Another says “I might start a political movement. ‘BRING BACK RAPE’ […] ‘WANNA STOP BEING INCEL, TIME TO START RAPING’.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/elliot-rodger-when-sexual-rejection-turns-deadly-27205">Elliot Rodger: when sexual rejection turns deadly</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Young people are under pressure</h2>
<p>Our preoccupation with having a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8001450/">perfect appearance</a> is an <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image">obsessive social disease</a> alienating us from ourselves and others.</p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494231153900">Researchers</a> point to a link between trends such as looksmaxxing and the broader cultural pressures young people face. They’re growing up in an increasingly precarious world with war, post-pandemic anxiety, environmental degradation, unaffordable living and unstable employment. This is juxtaposed with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9605858/">neoliberal hyper-individualism</a>, hypersexuality and consumer capitalism. </p>
<p>Where young people feel like they can’t control their environment, they may turn to trends such as looksmaxxing as something they <em>can</em> control. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@james_hausmann/video/7256980725403077894?q=incelibate%20looksmaxxing\u0026t=1706660873976"}"></div></p>
<p>In recent years, former members of the <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/manosphere">manosphere</a> have started producing their own counter-forums that challenge the beliefs they once held. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494231153900">Studies</a> highlight young men and boys are beginning to recognise misogynistic ideology and restrictive performances of masculinity. These studies also argue these forums can offer alternative perspectives, with information that emphasises the importance of healthy socialising, consent and respectful relationships.</p>
<p>In the age of TikTok algorithms, schools and communities must do more to educate on masculinity, what it means to be a “man” and the dangers of incel culture, extremism, <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/media-releases/new-report-finds-education-is-an-important-step-in-reducing-rates-of-gender-based-violence/">gendered hate speech</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494231191490">sexual violence</a>.</p>
<p>Celebrities and influencers also have a role to play. Actors such as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/mark-ruffalo-tells-ignorant-people-who-aren-t-feminists-to-kiss-my-a-10291291.html">Mark Ruffalo</a> and <a href="https://time.com/6287484/barbie-male-fragility-ken/">Ryan Gosling</a> have helped foster positive ideas about what it means to be a man. Real, positive change can come from instilling the belief that collectively we can create a more equal and empathetic world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamilla Rosdahl does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From ‘starvemaxxing’ and ‘edgemaxxing’ to ‘whitemaxxing’ – young men and boys are being bombarded with a plethora of problematic content online.Jamilla Rosdahl, Senior Lecturer, Australian College of Applied PsychologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2194512024-01-18T16:48:54Z2024-01-18T16:48:54ZBody image issues are rising in men – research suggests techniques to improve it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570028/original/file-20240118-17-9515qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6006%2C4007&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Social media is rife with images of idealised bodies – which can negatively affect wellbeing.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bad-news-teen-boy-reads-sms-709910503">Oleg Golovnev/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Body image issues are sometimes thought to mainly affect women. But some surveys estimate around <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/about-us/news/millions-men-uk-affected-body-image-issues-mental-health-foundation-survey">28% of men</a> aged 18 and over regularly struggle with their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.08.004">body image</a>.</p>
<p>Yet, despite evidence showing body image issues are <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/men-body-weight-dysmorphia-epidemic-b2219275.html">on the rise in men</a>, there’s a distinct lack of awareness about the problem – alongside a dearth of assistance available to help them. Much of the support that’s available <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523001122">still tends to focus on women</a>.</p>
<p>Support cannot simply be transplanted from women to men because body image concerns tend to differ according to gender. For women, body image issues arise from the pressure to conform to the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-007-9379-x">“thin ideal”</a> – a body that’s slim. For men, many feel pressure to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12329">muscular and look lean</a> or athletic. </p>
<p>Current treatments for body image issues involve asking people to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677629">critique the thin ideal</a> in order to undermine its influence. Almost all the studies we have which have explored this treatment have focused on whether it’s effective in female participants – while its relative effectiveness for men is under-explored. Moreover, most treatment programmes can take several hours or sessions to complete. </p>
<p>But research has identified two alternative methods that may be more useful in helping men cope with their body image issues.</p>
<p>The first is through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.08.002">improving media literacy</a>. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174014452100125X?via%3Dihub">Social media</a>, and being exposed to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-022-00179-4">images of idealised bodies</a>, is shown to have a negative affect on wellbeing and mental health for both <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523001122?via%3Dihub">men</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244017691327">women</a>.</p>
<p>With media literacy training, participants are educated about the “truthfulness” of the images they see on social media. They might be taught about how images can be digitally manipulated, shown how artificial lighting can be used to flatter the subject or point out that often the people in online images are professional models who know how to pose in a flattering way.</p>
<p>By improving media literacy, it can help a person be more critical of what they see online. </p>
<p>The second technique is through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.07.001">cognitive restructuring</a>. This psychological process teaches people to recognise negative thought patterns and replace them with more positive ones.</p>
<p>For example, when viewing social media images, someone may think “my body is terrible in comparison to this person” and feel worse about themselves. But cognitive restructuring trains them to recognise these thoughts and change them into something more positive and reasonable. So in this case, a person will be trained to consider whether it’s reasonable to compare themselves to a professional model. This helps dilute the negative thought and improve wellbeing.</p>
<h2>Improving body image</h2>
<p>Research previously published by myself and a colleague investigated whether these two methods can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05060-8">reduce body dissatisfaction</a> in men. We found them to be very effective.</p>
<p>We conducted two separate studies. To begin with, we taught a focus group the principles of media literacy and cognitive restructuring. We then asked them to use this knowledge to produce a slideshow aimed at teaching people about how social media can distort their body image. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man flexes his muscles while someone takes his photo with a smartphone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570027/original/file-20240118-22-obkvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Media literacy teaches people the many ways social media images can be manipulated.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-fitness-model-has-his-picture-1884225331">MDV Edwards/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Next, we tested the effectiveness of these materials on 514 male participants aged 18-73 who had been shown social media images of idealised bodies. </p>
<p>Across two experiments, participants’ body image was more positive if they had seen the focus group’s slideshow compared to the control group who had not. Participants who viewed the materials prior to seeing social media images appeared to be “inoculated” against their potentially deleterious effects. </p>
<p>Further examination of the data suggested that viewing the slideshow reduced the perceived realism of the images on social media. After exposure, participants were more aware that the images were not realistic, and so did not compare themselves to the people in the images. </p>
<p>This is a promising first step in improving men’s body image, showing how effective an accessible intervention can be in improving men’s body image. From here, researchers can now begin to investigate whether the effects of this intervention are long-lasting – and whether certain personality traits might make the intervention more effective. </p>
<p>In the meantime, this research offers key practical advice to people who may feel they’re at risk or sometimes struggle with their body image. </p>
<p>First, remember that what you see online isn’t real. Images on social media usually aren’t a true reflection of real life, and the internet is replete with examples of this. The hashtag #instagramvsreality on Instagram or Reddit has many great examples of this. </p>
<p>Second, try to be more mindful of the judgements you make about yourself when looking at social media images. Are they reasonable? Are they fair? Are you being over-critical of yourself? Being aware of these feelings is the first step in reducing their influence on you.</p>
<p>Hopefully, with a renewed focus on this topic, we can not only develop better treatments for body image issues, but also raise awareness which may help more men get the help they need and feel more positive about their bodies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219451/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Stiff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Around 28% of men struggle with their body image.Chris Stiff, Senior lecturer in Psychology, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199012023-12-15T05:45:15Z2023-12-15T05:45:15ZThinking about cosmetic surgery? New standards will force providers to tell you the risks and consider if you’re actually suitable<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565962/original/file-20231215-23-9ky8oh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C1000%2C664&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/surgeon-hand-drawing-marks-on-female-531165886">Africa Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People considering cosmetic surgery – such as a breast augmentation, liposuction or face lift – should have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-14/new-cosmetic-surgery-standards-introduced/103218180">extra protection</a> following the release this week of new safety and quality standards for providers, from small day-clinics through to larger medical organisations.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/national_safety_and_quality_cosmetic_surgery_standards.pdf">new standards</a> cover issues including how these surgeries are advertised, psychological assessments before surgery, the need for people to be informed of risks associated with the procedure, and the type of care people can expect during and afterwards. The idea is for uniform standards across Australia.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1735224191073575038"}"></div></p>
<p>The move is part of sweeping reforms of the cosmetic surgery industry and the <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-policies/cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx#:%7E:text=Cosmetic%20procedures%20must%20only%20be,care%20and%20any%20likely%20complications">regulation of medical practitioners</a>, including who is allowed to <a href="https://theconversation.com/doctors-may-soon-get-official-endorsements-to-practise-cosmetic-surgery-but-will-that-protect-patients-202136">call themselves a surgeon</a>.</p>
<p>It is heartening to see these reforms, but some may say they should have come much sooner for what’s considered a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07488068221105360">highly unregulated</a> area of medicine.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-cosmetic-surgery-at-last-some-clarity-on-who-can-call-themselves-a-surgeon-196947">Thinking about cosmetic surgery? At last, some clarity on who can call themselves a surgeon</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why do people want cosmetic surgery?</h2>
<p>Australians spent an <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/media_infographic_cosmetic_surgery_standards.PDF">estimated A$473 million</a> on cosmetic surgery procedures in 2023.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518305552">major reason</a> people want cosmetic surgery relates to concerns about their body image. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/43/9/994/7125043">Comments</a> from their partners, friends or family about their appearance is another reason. </p>
<p>The way cosmetic surgery is portrayed on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144522001784">social media</a> is also a factor. It’s often portrayed as an “easy” and “accessible” fix for concerns about someone’s appearance. So such aesthetic procedures have become far more normalised. </p>
<p>The use of “before” and “after” images online is also a powerful influence. Some people may think their appearance is worse than the “before” photo and so they think cosmetic intervention is <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/36/8/920/2613944?login=false">even more necessary</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young woman sits cross-legged on chair" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565696/original/file-20231214-23-j2jz8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Body image is a major concern. But other factors motivate people to choose cosmetic surgery.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-home-massaging-tired-painful-spider-2155356421">alinabuphoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-normal-labia-look-like-sometimes-doctors-are-the-wrong-people-to-ask-112513">What do normal labia look like? Sometimes doctors are the wrong people to ask</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>People don’t always get the results they expect</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/abstract/2009/02000/a_prospective,_multi_center_study_of_psychosocial.5.aspx">Most people</a> are <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/40/10/1143/5722403?login=false">satisfied</a> with their surgical outcomes and feel better about the body part that was previously concerning them.</p>
<p>However, people have often paid a sizeable sum of money for these surgeries and sometimes experienced considerable pain as they recover. So a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13548500903112374">positive evaluation</a> may be needed to justify these experiences. </p>
<p>People who are likely to be unhappy with their results are those with <a href="https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/abstract/2014/10000/why_some_patients_are_unhappy__part_2_.46.aspx">unrealistic expectations</a> for the outcomes, including the recovery period. This can occur if people are not provided with sufficient information throughout the surgical process, but particularly before making their final decision to proceed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-getting-a-minor-cosmetic-procedure-like-botox-or-fillers-heres-what-to-consider-first-161271">Thinking of getting a minor cosmetic procedure like botox or fillers? Here's what to consider first</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s changing?</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/national_safety_and_quality_cosmetic_surgery_standards.pdf">new standards</a>, services need to ensure their own advertising is not misleading, does not create unreasonable expectations of benefits, does not use patient testimonials, and doesn’t offer any gifts or inducements.</p>
<p>For some clinics, this will mean very little change as they were not using these approaches anyway, but for others this may mean quite a shift in their advertising strategy. </p>
<p>It will likely be a major challenge for clinics to monitor all of their patient communication to ensure they adhere to the standards. </p>
<p>It is also not quite clear how the advertising standards will be monitored, given the expanse of the internet.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Surgeons operate on a patient" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565698/original/file-20231214-25-91vwt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The new standards will govern how cosmetic surgery is advertised and promoted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/surgical-team-performing-surgery-patient-operating-750079588">Tong Nawarit/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/googling-for-a-new-dentist-or-therapist-heres-how-to-look-past-the-glowing-testimonials-84584">Googling for a new dentist or therapist? Here's how to look past the glowing testimonials</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about the mental health assessment?</h2>
<p>The new standards say clinics must have processes to ensure the assessment of a patient’s general health, including psychological health, and that information from a patient’s referring doctor be used “where available”. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-policies/cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx#:%7E:text=Cosmetic%20procedures%20must%20only%20be,care%20and%20any%20likely%20complications">guidelines</a> from the Medical Board of Australia, which the standards are said to complement, all patients must have a referral, “preferably from their usual general practitioner or if that is not possible, from another general practitioner or other specialist medical practitioner”.</p>
<p>While this is a step in the right direction, we may be relying on medical professionals who may not specialise in assessing body image concerns and related mental health conditions. They may also have had very little prior contact with the patient to make their clinical impressions. </p>
<p>So these doctors need further training to ensure they can perform assessments efficiently and effectively. People considering surgery may also not be forthcoming with these practitioners, and may view them as “gatekeepers” to surgery they really want to have. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Surgeons discuss a patient's case" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565701/original/file-20231214-21-lz7rps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ideally, mental health assessments should be done by health professionals with experience and training in body image concerns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plastic-cosmetic-surgeon-consults-woman-about-2147151401">Roman Fenton/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ideally, mental health assessments should be performed by health professionals who are extensively trained in the area. They also know what other areas should be explored with the patient, such as the potential impact of trauma on body image concerns.</p>
<p>Of course, there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-solve-australias-mental-health-emergency-if-we-dont-train-enough-psychologists-here-are-5-fixes-190135">not enough</a> mental health professionals, particularly psychologists, to conduct these assessments so there is no easy solution. </p>
<p>Ultimately, this area of health would likely benefit from a standard multidisciplinary approach where all health professionals involved (such as the cosmetic surgeon, general practitioner, dermatologist, psychologist) work together with the patient to come up with a plan to best address their bodily concerns. </p>
<p>In this way, patients would likely not view any of the health professionals as “gatekeepers” but rather members of their treating team.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-connection-between-cosmetic-procedures-and-mental-health-190841">What's the connection between cosmetic procedures and mental health?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>If you’re considering cosmetic surgery</h2>
<p>The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, which developed the new standards, recommended taking these <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/media_backgrounder_-_cosmetic_surgery_reforms_will_help_protect_patients_-_14_dec_2023.pdf">four steps</a> if you’re considering cosmetic surgery:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>have an independent physical and mental health assessment before you commit to cosmetic surgery</p></li>
<li><p>make an informed decision knowing the risks</p></li>
<li><p>choose your practitioner, knowing their training and qualifications</p></li>
<li><p>discuss your care after your operation and where you can go for support.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My ultimate hope is people safely receive the care to help them best overcome their bodily concerns whether it be medical, psychological or a combination.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gemma Sharp receives funding from NHMRC Investigator Grant (Emerging Leadership 2).</span></em></p>If you’re thinking of a breast augmentation, liposuction, or a face lift, this latest move is designed to provide extra protection. Here’s what you need to know ahead of surgery.Gemma Sharp, Associate Professor, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow & Senior Clinical Psychologist, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170762023-11-13T11:52:54Z2023-11-13T11:52:54ZWhat women say about how breastfeeding affects their body image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558010/original/file-20231107-25-xzhpml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C9475%2C6317&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-son-sitting-on-sofa-breastfeeding-2251534251">Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/breastfeeding-benefits/index.html#:%7E:text=Breastfeeding%20has%20health%20benefits%20for%20both%20babies%20and,baby%20and%20mom%20against%20certain%20illnesses%20and%20diseases">benefits of breastfeeding</a> are well known – but the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. The <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding">WHO recommends</a> that babies should be exclusively breastfed up to the age of six months (when they can start having food in addition to breast milk). But <a href="https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/about/breastfeeding-in-the-uk/">just 1%</a> of women in the UK exclusively breastfeed their babies to six months old. </p>
<p>There are many reasons that lead mothers to stop breastfeeding, or not start at all. One of these is <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003100041/body-image-sarah-grogan">body image</a>: their perceptions or feelings about their body.</p>
<p>In 2019, one of us (Alison Owen) carried out a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30873876/">review</a> of research studies looking at the relationship between body image and breastfeeding. In total, 13,046 people took part in these studies. </p>
<p>We found that pregnant women with higher body image – those who were more satisfied with the way they looked – were more likely to exclusively breastfeed. Women with concerns about their appearance were less likely to plan to breastfeed. Those who did start breastfeeding carried on for a shorter time than the women who felt good about the way they looked.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/baby-names-why-we-all-choose-the-same-ones-185546?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Baby names: why we all choose the same ones</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-normal-baby-sleep-how-evolutionary-clues-not-cultural-expectations-can-help-new-parents-187747?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">What is ‘normal’ baby sleep? How evolutionary clues, not cultural expectations, can help new parents</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/mens-fertility-also-declines-with-age-heres-what-to-know-if-youre-planning-to-wait-to-have-kids-187498?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Men’s fertility also declines with age — here’s what to know if you’re planning to wait to have kids</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37874008/">study</a>, we explored the body image experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the UK, to try and find out a bit more about how breastfeeding had an impact on how they felt about their bodies – as well as how body image might have affected their experience of breastfeeding. </p>
<h2>Awareness of bodies</h2>
<p>We interviewed 18 women who had all breastfed their babies and asked them about their thoughts and feelings around their body image, specifically in relation to their breastfeeding.</p>
<p>Although our previous research found that the choice to breastfeed was linked with higher body image, we discovered that considerations, thoughts and worries about how they looked remained a significant part of their experience.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman breastfeeding on sofa" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558012/original/file-20231107-270141-ict3f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The clothes needed for breastfeeding affected women’s body image.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tired-mother-breastfeeding-her-baby-daughter-1891249108">Jelena Stanojkovic/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Breastfeeding is a physical experience and it can require mothers to use their bodies in a way that may draw attention. For one of the women we spoke to, body image concerns shaped her experience of breastfeeding by affecting her choices of places to feed her baby. She said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I don’t have the most positive body image and I think I’ve definitely avoided breastfeeding in public as much as possible, to the point where, apart from flying, I don’t think we’ve ever really breastfed in public.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The choice to breastfeed also means looking different – down to the need to choose different clothes. Women told us how clothes that are suitable for breastfeeding didn’t always help in terms of body positivity. Clothes were a big part of the women’s body image and identity, helping them feel like they were getting back to their “old selves” after pregnancy and breastfeeding, rather than seeing themselves as just “mums”. One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve gone back to my own style. I wore breastfeeding clothes for a bit, but I just found that they weren’t very stylish and the ones that were stylish you’d have to pay like £60 pound for a hoodie … or a jumper. So I just thought forget that. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>For one of the mothers we spoke to, considerations of how her body looked was a key factor leading her to make the choice to breastfeed. She said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Everything that I read was always like, you’ll go back to your pre-pregnancy body quicker if you breastfeed… So, I thought oh OK, then ‘cause I thought I’d be like the size of a house after having [baby] so I thought I better breastfeed then … I think that had a big part in me choosing to breastfeed so I could lose the weight.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But some of the women we spoke to also talked about negative feelings about how breastfeeding had affected their bodies, and in particular their breasts. Although she referred to breastfeeding as “one of the best things I did”, one of the mothers said that she didn’t now like to see her breasts. Another said that “it took me a long time to kind of like the deflated boobs, but I just thought well, they’ve served the purpose”.</p>
<h2>Bodies as tools</h2>
<p>This awareness of the functionality of their bodies – serving a purpose – helped women feel more positive about them. They felt proud of what they had achieved through breastfeeding. One said she had “a deeper level of respect” for her body, whereas before having babies “it was quite superficial”, how the thought of a “muffin top” hanging over her jeans “mattered”. She added:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>…In reality it’s like no. Actually, you’ve grown a human and given birth to one and are keeping one alive now with just your body, like it’s amazing.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But this functionality can have a negative side – the sense that the purpose of a mother’s body is just for motherhood. As one mother said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Your world gets taken over by baby and you become mum and that is your sole purpose … ’cause all you do is just constantly breastfeeding, and I felt like that was all I was.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865685/">Other research</a> surveying mothers who chose not to breastfeed found one of the reasons was wanting to feel that their bodies were their own again. </p>
<p>Breastfeeding did affect the body image of the women we spoke to – and the way some of the women felt about their bodies affected their breastfeeding choices, such as choosing not to breastfeed in public. </p>
<p>This is further evidence of the importance of breastfeeding support that helps mothers feel as comfortable as possible about their bodies, even if they do look and feel different to how they did before they had a baby.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217076/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The way some of the women felt about their bodies affected their breastfeeding choices.Alison Owen, Lecturer in Health Psychology, Staffordshire UniversityJennifer Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Psychological Research Methods, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052032023-10-31T19:18:21Z2023-10-31T19:18:21ZCan I actually target areas to lose fat, like my belly?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555196/original/file-20231023-17-dj2vz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C74%2C5481%2C3585&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-male-runs-on-treadmill-gym-1456626641">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Spend some time scrolling social media and you’re all-but-guaranteed to see an ad promising to help you with targeted fat loss. These ads promote a concept known as “spot reduction”, claiming you can burn fat in a specific body area, usually the belly, with specially designed exercises or workouts. </p>
<p>It’s also common to see ads touting special diets, pills and supplements that will blast fat in targeted areas. These ads – which often feature impressive before and after photos taken weeks apart – can seem believable. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. It’s simply not possible to target the location of fat loss. Here’s why. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/using-bmi-to-measure-your-health-is-nonsense-heres-why-180412">Using BMI to measure your health is nonsense. Here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Our bodies are hardwired to access and burn all our fat stores for energy</h2>
<p>To understand why spot reduction is a myth, it’s important to understand how body fat is stored and used.</p>
<p>The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides, which are a type of lipid or fat molecule we can use for energy. Around 95% of the dietary fats <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/triglycerides">we consume are triglycerides</a>, and when we eat, our bodies also convert any unused energy consumed into triglycerides.</p>
<p>Triglycerides are stored in special fat cells called adipocytes, and they’re released into our bloodstream and transported to adipose tissue – tissue we more commonly refer to as body fat.</p>
<p>This body fat is found all over our bodies, but it’s primarily stored as subcutaneous fat under our skin and as visceral fat around our internal organs.</p>
<p>These fat stores serve as a vital energy reserve, with our bodies mobilising to access stored triglycerides to provide energy during periods of prolonged exercise. We also draw on these reserves when we’re dieting and fasting.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person does button up on tight jeans" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fat stores we use for energy come from everywhere on our bodies, not just the belly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-trying-put-on-tight-light-1521248603">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, contrary to what many spot-reduction ads would have us think, our muscles can’t directly access and burn specific fat stores when we exercise. </p>
<p>Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides into free fatty acids and a compound called glycerol, which then travels to our muscles via our bloodstream.</p>
<p>As a result, the fat stores we’re using for energy when we exercise come from everywhere in our bodies – not just the areas we’re targeting for fat loss. </p>
<p>Research reinforces how our bodies burn fat when we exercise, confirming spot reduction is a weight-loss myth. This includes a randomised <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25766455/">12-week clinical trial</a> which found no greater improvement in reducing belly fat between people who undertook an abdominal resistance program in addition to changes in diet compared to those in the diet-only group. </p>
<p>Further, <a href="https://www.termedia.pl/A-proposed-model-to-test-the-hypothesis-of-exerciseinduced-localized-fat-reduction-spot-reduction-including-a-systematic-review-with-meta-analysis,129,45538,0,1.html">a 2021 meta-analysis</a> of 13 studies involving more than 1,100 participants found that localised muscle training had no effect on localised fat deposits. That is, exercising a specific part of the body did not reduce fat in that part of the body.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3845">Studies</a> purporting to show spot-reduction benefits have small numbers of participants with results that aren’t clinically meaningful. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-exercise-help-you-lose-weight-198292">Does exercise help you lose weight?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Our bodies decide where we store fat and where we lose it from first</h2>
<p>Factors outside of our control influence the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, namely:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>our genes. Just as DNA prescribes whether we’re short or tall, genetics plays a significant role in how our fat stores are managed. Research shows our genes can account for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24632736/">60% of where fat is distributed</a>. So, if your mum tends to store and lose weight from her face first, there’s a good chance you will, too</p></li>
<li><p>our gender. Our bodies, by nature, have distinct fat storage characteristics <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11706283/">driven by our gender</a>, including females having more fat mass than males. This is primarily because the female body is designed to hold fat reserves to support pregnancy and nursing, with women tending to lose weight from their face, calves and arms first because they impact childbearing the least, while holding onto fat stored around the hips, thighs and buttocks</p></li>
<li><p>our age. The ageing process triggers changes in muscle mass, metabolism, and hormone levels, which can impact where and how quickly fat is lost. Post-menopausal <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308">women</a> and middle-aged <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/sex-differences-in-fat-storage-fat-metabolism-and-the-health-risks-from-obesity-possible-evolutionary-origins/00950AD6710FB3D0414B13EAA67D4327">men</a> tend to store visceral fat around the midsection and find it a stubborn place to shift fat from. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308">Is menopause making me put on weight? No, but it's complicated</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Over-the-counter pills and supplements cannot effectively target fat loss</h2>
<p>Most advertising for these pills and dietary supplements – including products claiming to be “the best way to lose belly fat” – will also proudly claim their product’s results are backed by “clinical trials” and “scientific evidence”.</p>
<p>But the reality is a host of independent studies don’t support these claims. </p>
<p>This includes two recent studies by the University of Sydney that examined data from more than 120 placebo-controlled trials of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984610/">herbal</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33976376/">dietary</a> supplements. None of the supplements examined provided a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight among overweight or obese people.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman takes diet pill" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supplements won’t help you target ares weight-loss either.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-taking-tablet-glass-water-1498026977">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>Spot reduction is a myth – we can’t control where our bodies lose fat. But we can achieve the results we’re seeking in specific areas by targeting overall fat loss. </p>
<p>While you may not lose the weight in a specific spot when exercising, all physical activity helps to burn body fat and preserve muscle mass. This will lead to a change in your body shape over time and it will also help you with long-term weight management. </p>
<p>This is because your metabolic rate – how much energy you burn at rest – is determined by how much muscle and fat you carry. As muscle is more metabolically active than fat (meaning it burns more energy than fat), a person with a higher muscle mass will have a faster metabolic rate than someone of the same body weight with a higher fat mass. </p>
<p>Successfully losing fat long term comes down to losing weight in small, manageable chunks you can sustain – periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight.</p>
<p>It also requires gradual changes to your lifestyle (diet, exercise and sleep) to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-true-the-faster-you-lose-weight-the-quicker-it-comes-back-heres-what-we-know-about-slow-and-fast-weight-loss-198301">Is it true the faster you lose weight the quicker it comes back? Here's what we know about slow and fast weight loss</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205203/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>Ads for targeted fat loss, especially
for belly fat, are everywhere on social media. But is there any evidence to support this type of ‘spot reduction’?Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2161412023-10-29T14:00:49Z2023-10-29T14:00:49ZPup Play: Kink communities can help people build connections and improve their body image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555438/original/file-20231023-25-o6z8yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=63%2C34%2C3771%2C2701&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pup play has its roots within kink communities and gay BDSM and leather subculture.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/pup-play-kink-communities-can-help-people-build-connections-and-improve-their-body-image" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>In recent years, the world of kink lifestyles and subcultures has gained increasing attention. <a href="https://doi.org/10.34296/01011007">Kink is a general term</a> that includes various expressions of unconventional or non-traditional sexual desires. This encompasses a wide array of practices, including power dynamics, intense sensations/stimuli, role-playing and more. </p>
<p>One such form of role-play that is often misunderstood is known as pup play. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0636-8">Pups are consenting adults</a> who roleplay by dressing and acting as young canines, or pups. </p>
<p>We are researchers within nutrition and health research with a focus on diverse gender and sexualities. In this project called <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/about.html">Puppy Philms</a>, we seek to more deeply understand how meanings ascribed to bodies are socially constructed for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men within the pup community. </p>
<p>For this project, we used a method called cellphilming. The term <a href="https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789463005739/BP000002.xml">cellphilm</a> was coined to describe films made with cell phones. We worked with pups who created cellphilms to learn more about their community, particularly how being a pup might help people navigate body-image concerns.</p>
<p>We recruited 17 self-identifying gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men who are pups across Canada. They attended three workshops and each of them created a cellphilm in which they talked about being a pup and how their body image is shaped in the pup community. </p>
<h2>What is pup play?</h2>
<p>Pup play has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719839914">its roots</a> within kink communities and gay BDSM and leather subculture. Alongside the sexual component, pup play is viewed by many to be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02225-z">social activity</a>.</p>
<p>Studies have demonstrated many reasons why people might participate in kink and BDSM activities. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2020.1827476">personal development, self-expression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2239225">overcoming anxiety, relaxation</a>, and to be more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2022.2068180">socially comfortable</a>. Kink play may also improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460720944594">interpersonal relationships</a>.</p>
<p>The pup community fosters connections and gathers at various <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/kinky-in-the-digital-age-9780197651513?cc=ca&lang=en&">pup events</a>. These include pup competitions where a designated “play space” allows them to cuddle each other, wag their tails and bark. </p>
<p>Pups often wear pup gear like collars and pup masks or hoods. Some individuals within pup communities take on the role of pup “handlers,” which means they assume a more dominant role within pup play. </p>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/712687870?h=9275b6a350&color=feb500" width="100%" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<h2>Cellphilming</h2>
<p>Cellphilming is an art-based research method and serves as a tool for advocacy that researchers seeking to disrupt traditional roles within research can use. It enables participants to exercise their creativity and <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3VK_DAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=What%E2%80%99sa+cellphilm%3F:+Integrating+mobile+phone+technology+into+participatory+visual+research+and+activism&ots=vvogXRkMd_&sig=L_UFtSHYS_5p6MAVdBz7yVMDbHA#v=onepage&q&f=false">take control and ownership of their narratives</a>, facilitating the expression of ideas that can be more challenging to convey through traditional interviews.</p>
<p>Research becomes an artistic and reflective process. The resulting cellphilms are pieces of art that can create a sense of solidarity among communities while changing social values about gender, sexual orientation and bodies. </p>
<h2>The Puppy Philms Project</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00101_1">previous work</a> noted that many gay men navigate body-image tensions by identifying within gay subcultures that celebrate bodies that are more diverse than the dominant thin and muscular body standards. We also found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/jbsm.2021.020203">challenging and disrupting</a> dominant ideas about masculinity can be helpful for some men dealing with body-image concerns. </p>
<p>Yet no studies have looked at the relationships between body image and pup communities. With Puppy Philms, we sought to gain a deeper insights into this relationship through <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/puppyfilms.html">cellphilming</a>. </p>
<h2>Body image and pup play</h2>
<p>Three <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/puppyfilms-324057.html">findings about pup play</a> and body image emerged from our research. First, participants discussed how the pup community can reinforce body standards for men. As one participant said, “the body expectations for pup communities are not really different from the body expectations from the cis gay man culture.”</p>
<p>However, many participants also felt pup communities were spaces where dominant ideas about men’s body standards and masculinity were changed, lessened or lacking altogether. As another participant noted, “body image doesn’t really matter in the pup community, and that’s sort of the point. Just be a puppy.”</p>
<p>The pup headspace – a state of mindfulness relaxation — has also been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01476-1">therapeutic benefits</a>. Participants reflected on how the process of becoming a pup helped them change their feelings about their bodies and overcome body image concerns. </p>
<p>One participant noted, “…while I’ve got the [pup] mask on and I’m at the events, I don’t tend to think about it. But soon as the mask comes off then I start to think about my body-image issues again.” </p>
<p>Our study sheds light on the positive aspects of the pup community as a social and accepting space, where identifying as a pup represents a sign of resilience and defiance against social norms.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pow-comics-are-a-way-to-improve-queer-mens-body-image-119582">Pow! Comics are a way to improve queer men's body image</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Unleashing queer activism</h2>
<p>Participants felt inspired to create their cellphilms and saw them as powerful tools for activism. They aimed to inform the public about pup play and break the stigma surrounding it. </p>
<p>This drive for activism took various forms; some participants submitted their cellphilms to <a href="https://internationalcellphilmfestival.com/reimagining-cellphilm-festival/">film festivals</a>, and others travelled to the United States and Europe to showcase their cellphilms and share their experiences. In collaboration with the participants, we organized community screening events (one in Montreal and an <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/fcc41259-c9a4-4280-aba4-99df455ec7bb">upcoming one in Toronto</a>), furthering the reach of their narratives.</p>
<p>Participants saw the potential to use their cellphilms for a greater purpose than just this research. As one participant said, “just this possibility of spreading out what we were talking about really stimulates me a lot.” </p>
<p>Artistic activists remind us that <a href="https://artofactivismbook.com">“we can ‘queer’ mass culture by making it say things it was never designed to say, and act in ways it was never meant to act</a>.” Perhaps the participants’ cellphilms can help make our culture more open to diverse bodies, genders and sexualities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216141/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phillip Joy receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kinda Wassef does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pup play communities can help tackle problematic ideas about masculinity and provide space for personal development and self-expression.Phillip Joy, Assistant Professor, Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityKinda Wassef, Research Assistant, Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145172023-10-03T15:17:34Z2023-10-03T15:17:34ZCosmetic surgery boosts some people’s mental health – but for others it makes problems worse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551682/original/file-20231003-17-eqmv5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=49%2C16%2C5550%2C3672&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many hope having cosmetic surgery will bring real mental health improvements.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-beautiful-female-customer-mirror-getting-2282971349">Oleksandr Berezko/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Demand for cosmetic procedures is <a href="https://baaps.org.uk/about/news/1872/cosmetic_surgery_boom/">higher than ever</a>. From breast augmentations to “tweakments” such as lip fillers and Botox, <a href="https://www.isaps.org/discover/about-isaps/global-statistics/reports-and-press-releases/global-survey-2021-full-report-and-press-releases">more and more people</a> around the world each year are undergoing procedures to change how they look.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/more-people-getting-plastic-surgery#Advice-for-the-cosmetically-inclined">many reasons</a> why cosmetic procedures may be on the rise, from falling costs and lower stigma to <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2023-07-24/the-rise-of-tweakments-what-to-look-out-for-when-getting-cosmetic-injectables">social media</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6604085/">Instagram filters</a>.</p>
<p>But a major reason behind the decision to undergo cosmetic procedures remains a desire to <a href="https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/abstract/2006/01000/psychosocial_factors_predicting_the_motivation_to.9.aspx">improve body image</a> – the way we think and feel about our bodies. Research also shows that people who have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049732310362984?casa_token=vfB7mol5VPUAAAAA:qcppwO8j1lK4CgRIf1Tz1z_Z_7QEbVh3ANG62a4cFyfXCWIPkV-RRxIpIVL6Fj3c-P4vYMQBQVs">low self-esteem</a> or who have been teased about their appearance are more likely to have cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p>Many people who have cosmetic surgery expect it will bring <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049732310362984?casa_token=vfB7mol5VPUAAAAA:qcppwO8j1lK4CgRIf1Tz1z_Z_7QEbVh3ANG62a4cFyfXCWIPkV-RRxIpIVL6Fj3c-P4vYMQBQVs">mental health improvements</a>. But does it actually? Unfortunately, the answer to this question <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Fulltext/2022/07000/The_Psychological_Benefits_of_Cosmetic_Surgery.2.aspx?casa_token=Gzt5XaiXGtgAAAAA:ejoze7iHaIadH-nv1l3_Hq6deFgjtgg2PE7ERAh4Al1pRJ_dqxd5xHSQnUaHQBFEDWW_DUJEfzFyR5oHEGYX-Wx0_XAn">isn’t clear-cut</a> – and the outcome depends on many factors, including some that are outside our control.</p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/body-dysmorphic-disorder-what-to-know-about-this-mental-health-condition-206243?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Body dysmorphic disorder: what to know about this mental health condition</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/three-steps-for-getting-over-social-media-envy-advice-from-a-psychologist-214446?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Three steps for getting over social media envy – advice from a psychologist</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-how-to-protect-your-mental-health-187935?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Social media: how to protect your mental health</a></em></p>
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<h2>Body image improvements</h2>
<p>A number of studies have found that cosmetic surgery patients do experience <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/28/3/245/268521">improvements in their body image</a> following a cosmetic procedure.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://journals.lww.com/dermatologicsurgery/abstract/2010/12004/a_double_blind,_randomized,_placebo_controlled.3.aspx">one study</a> showed that participants who’d had Botox felt they were more attractive, were less self-conscious and felt more satisfied with their appearance up to three months later.</p>
<p>Cosmetic surgery may also improve feelings about the specific feature that was altered. One study of women who’d undergone breast augmentation found they generally reported <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4879787/">greater satisfaction</a> with breast appearance up to four years post-surgery. </p>
<p>Another study of people who’d had rhinoplasty (what’s often called “a nose job”) found they were <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/abs/doi/10.1001/jamafacial.2015.1445">generally satisfied</a> with the appearance of their nose several months afterwards – and were more satisfied with their face’s overall appearance, too.</p>
<p>These body image improvements aren’t short lived either, with some studies showing improvements enduring even <a href="https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Fulltext/2011/09000/Psychosocial_Changes_after_Cosmetic_Surgery__A.26.aspx">five years</a> post-surgery. </p>
<h2>Other mental health outcomes</h2>
<p>The effect that cosmetic surgery has on other psychological outcomes is less clear, however.</p>
<p>Some studies looking at the impact of <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Fulltext/2022/07000/The_Psychological_Benefits_of_Cosmetic_Surgery.2.aspx?casa_token=Gzt5XaiXGtgAAAAA:ejoze7iHaIadH-nv1l3_Hq6deFgjtgg2PE7ERAh4Al1pRJ_dqxd5xHSQnUaHQBFEDWW_DUJEfzFyR5oHEGYX-Wx0_XAn">cosmetic surgery on self-esteem</a> – our overall sense of worth or value – have shown cosmetic procedures only improve it in the short term. </p>
<p>But other studies have found cosmetic surgery <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/28/3/245/268521">doesn’t improve self-esteem</a> at all. This is particularly true when researchers look at things in the long-term, finding that any improvements in self-esteem immediately after a procedure have had faded after <a href="https://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/abstract/2009/02000/a_prospective,_multi_center_study_of_psychosocial.5.aspx">several years</a>.</p>
<p>Researchers have also looked at the relationship between cosmetic surgery and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Fulltext/2022/07000/The_Psychological_Benefits_of_Cosmetic_Surgery.2.aspx?casa_token=Gzt5XaiXGtgAAAAA:ejoze7iHaIadH-nv1l3_Hq6deFgjtgg2PE7ERAh4Al1pRJ_dqxd5xHSQnUaHQBFEDWW_DUJEfzFyR5oHEGYX-Wx0_XAn">symptoms of depression</a>. For example, a study of people who’d had rhinoplasty found that while some reported <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2500/ajra.2011.25.3649?casa_token=jFySfrD42p0AAAAA:3CCwVTBbnrccJCB3ZwQCCOrvyUV8f5vS8xgyCrUgWKLWb6nsNP5k17IBNQr7mg29HA11e8k5URs">lower symptoms of depression</a> post-surgery, most showed no change – or even a worsening of symptoms. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A male plastic surgeon looks at a young woman's nose." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551684/original/file-20231003-25-586dxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cosmetic surgery could worsen symptoms of depression in some cases.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rhinoplasty-reshaping-nose-surgery-change-appearance-2249751279">Rabizo Anatolii/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>A separate study of Norwegian adolescents also found that symptoms of depression and eating problems worsened in those who’d had <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/predictors-of-cosmetic-surgery-and-its-effects-on-psychological-factors-and-mental-health-a-populationbased-followup-study-among-norwegian-females/F4ED8C49C2245BCCEF98FCECBB5DD9C3">cosmetic surgery</a> compared to those who hadn’t. Even patients with little to no depressive symptoms don’t report experiencing a boost in their <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/28/3/245/268521">psychological wellbeing</a> after cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p>In other words, there’s a risk cosmetic surgery may worsen existing mental health problems for some people. This is especially concerning as <a href="https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/abstract/2003/07000/body_image_concerns_of_breast_augmentation.11.aspx">some research shows</a> people who seek out cosmetic surgeries are more likely to have experienced mental health problems compared to the general population. </p>
<h2>What affects the outcome</h2>
<p>Many factors can determine what outcome you might experience after having a cosmetic procedure.</p>
<p>One of these is the degree of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1762095/">post-operative complications</a>. A study of women who’d undergone breast augmentation found that those who’d experienced post-operative complications – such as leaking implants and infections – had smaller improvements in body image following surgery. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548500903112374">Healing time</a> may also be important, with studies finding patients who took a long time to heal often show only small improvements in wellbeing.</p>
<p>Research has also found that people with symptoms of <a href="https://theconversation.com/body-dysmorphic-disorder-what-to-know-about-this-mental-health-condition-206243">body dysmorphic disorder</a> – a preoccupation or obsession with some aspect of appearance – don’t see improvements to psychological wellbeing after surgery. Likewise, patients who are experiencing high levels of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1762095/">psychological distress</a> – including severe symptoms of depression and anxiety – may not experience any benefit from cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1762095/">Relationship factors</a> can also affect whether cosmetic surgery is beneficial to your wellbeing. For example, people who are motivated to have a procedure because they think it will save their relationship often report poorer psychological outcomes. The same may also be true when <a href="https://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/Citation/1984/10000/Augmentation_Mammaplasty__The_Surgical_and.3.aspx">partners disagree</a> on the need to have a procedure.</p>
<p>The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is not to be taken lightly. Any procedure – even minimally invasive ones – can come with a risk of complications. If you’re considering one, it’s important not to rush into anything. </p>
<p>The NHS has some very <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/advice/cosmetic-procedure-right-for-me/">good questions</a> to ask yourself before having a cosmetic procedure, such as why you want to have a procedure and whether you want the procedure for yourself or to please someone else. </p>
<p>It’s also important to do your research, thinking not only about the costs, but also the impact any procedure might have on those around you. Find out as much as you can about the procedure you want, talk to experts, and – if you do decide do go ahead – make sure you choose a qualified practitioner.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214517/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Viren Swami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many people have cosmetic procedures to improve how they feel about themselves – but the evidence is mixed on whether they actually do.Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2112932023-08-29T10:53:46Z2023-08-29T10:53:46ZHow our female athletes feel forced to choose between a ‘strong’ or ‘feminine’ look<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543056/original/file-20230816-22-9oq39z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C8%2C5946%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-female-soccer-football-player-long-1399325561">Master1305/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As I watched the Fifa Women’s World Cup, I was probably one of many who couldn’t help but feel inspired by the women on the pitch, showing their elite fitness and ability. However, many female athletes have spoken out about the pressures they feel in regards to their bodies and the way they look. </p>
<p>Good mental health is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8656946/">vital to sports performance</a>. So it is crucial our athletes feel positive about their body image and mental health if they are to achieve their potential.</p>
<p>Professional young athletes <a href="https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10182/8952/Thomas_BSRM%28Hons%29.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y">make sacrifices</a> for example forgoing family commitments and social life and enduring financial hardship, that alter their life course. </p>
<p>They dedicate their lives to sport achievement, but pressures from media and their own coaches about their physique is in some cases making them more concerned about looking right than their performance.</p>
<p>Recently, legendary US climber <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/">Beth Rodden</a> spoke about the pressure she felt to have a six-pack for photoshoots, and Olympic athletics champion <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/may/25/jessica-ennis-fat-london-2012#:%7E:text=Jess%20Ennis%20said%20she%20thinks,it's%20definitely%20a%20funny%20one">Jessica Ennis-Hill</a> was once called “fat” by an official at UK Athletics. The 2022 Whyte Review into allegations of abuse in British gymnastics found that coaches often publicly shamed <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/amp/british-gymnastics-whyte-review-reveals-abusive-culture-as-young-people-starved-body-shamed-and-punished-12635062">young gymnasts</a> about their weight. </p>
<p>These world-class athletes are not anomalies. A <a href="https://newsroom.bt.com/top-british-sports-women-say-body-image-insecurities-rife-in-sport/">2014 BT sport survey</a> found that 80% of the 110 elite female athletes who took part felt pressure to conform to a “certain image and body type”.</p>
<h2>Double standards</h2>
<p>My own research <a href="https://www.academia.edu/41374005/Tessa_Allan_and_Alison_Owen_2019_For_athletes_there_are_many_">interviewing female athletes</a> found they are hit by a double standard. One of the participants, Sarah, said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>For athletes, there are many pressures to be strong and fit, but also have that feminine look. I feel that athletes are put into … two categories … either they are labelled that they don’t try hard enough, as they don’t look strong or fit and muscly, or they are shamed for looking manly and it’s ‘too much’.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I interviewed five female athletes to talk in-depth about their feelings around their body image. They each performed in a different sport: football, netball, rowing, korfball and sailing, showing how widespread the problem is. </p>
<p>The athletes in my study felt that these exacting standards led to intense pressure. They were battling between looking a certain way (perhaps due to cultural <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=J5tIEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=cultural+pressures+body+image&ots=My0C1iaDfu&sig=7BZJQW17Ygu1YAdlNzC1JIZ-t1M#v=onepage&q=cultural%20pressures%20body%20image&f=false">pressures</a> such as maintaining a slim and toned physique), but also keeping up their athletic ability and fitness. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cheerful team of female soccer players celebrating victory and carrying on of teammates who is shouting out of joy" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544270/original/file-20230823-27-mz7suq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Female athletes should feel free to focus on their sport.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cheerful-team-female-soccer-players-celebrating-2157299721">Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other research has also found female athletes get conflicting messages about their bodies. For example, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144516302534?via%3Dihub">2017 study</a> of female Swedish athletes found that the participants felt they were forced to choose between a body that performs well in their athletic field, or a fashionable body. </p>
<p>There are pressures on men too. Olympic diver <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/tom-daley-disordered-eating-body-image-b1933932.html">Tom Daley</a> has spoken out about the body image issues he experiences as a result of pressure from the sports industry. However it does seem that on the whole, women tend to feel <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585319308111">more pressure</a> around their appearance.</p>
<p>The athletes in my study also talked about how they felt male and female athletes experienced different pressures. Sarah said: “I still can’t understand why women are judged so harshly on their appearance and the men aren’t.” </p>
<p>The participants mentioned objectification too, with one participant, Monica, saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think that in sport … women get objectified more than men by the public and media. Also, I think there is more focus made about women’s clothing and image in the media in sport than there is for men.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Pressure from all sides</h2>
<p>All of the athletes in the study talked about the media and its portrayal of athletes. Sarah talked about Jessica Ennis-Hill: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The media has many negative body image stories surrounding female athletes … Jess Ennis-Hill has always been an inspiration to me and I was shocked to find stories of her being classed as overweight, from her BMI. It’s clear that she is one of the fittest and healthiest women and yet the media has to try and shame her in some way.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In 2022, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35833724/">researchers</a> interviewed 47 people involved in the female football industry in England, including players and coaches and found that players “under-fuel”. This means they are not eating enough to meet their energy demands. </p>
<p>The study found that women and girls were under-eating due to misunderstandings about carbohydrates and fear of weight gain. The researchers suggested that “carbohydrate fear” is made worse by pressure from social media and coaches. It is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/5/12/5140">well documented</a> that eating disorders have a negative effect on both physical fitness and sport performance.</p>
<p>Most people feel some degree of pressure about the way they look. However studies have shown that for athletes, these pressures can be even more intense. It is really important for people working in the sporting industry to ensure that the people they work with are protected from body image pressure, which could <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144520304277">affect their results and abilities</a>.</p>
<p>As my interviewee Monica said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It makes me sad and angry … to see such influential, strong, successful women be put down in the media for their body image. It’s not what we, or the media, should be focusing on … we should celebrate them as athletes … They didn’t sign up to be treated like failed supermodels.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211293/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Owen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Imagine what female athletes could achieve if they were free from body pressure.Alison Owen, Lecturer in Health Psychology, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2119122023-08-22T20:07:29Z2023-08-22T20:07:29ZA male character on Heartstopper has an eating disorder. That’s more common than you might think<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543857/original/file-20230822-38016-v420lw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C30%2C3355%2C1650&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81059939/assets/eyJpZCI6IjM3MGU2Y2MwLTA5MmItMTFlZS1hYjdhLTBlYzdkMTlhM2U3ZCIsIm5hbWUiOiJIZWFydHN0b3BwZXJfUzAyX1RlYXNlcjIuanBnIn0=">Netflix</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Season two of the series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10638036/">Heartstopper</a> on Netflix brings out an issue that is often hidden – male eating disorders. Centred on two teenage boys in love, the show helps bust the common perception that eating disorders are only seen in girls and women. </p>
<p>In one episode of the series, based on a series of graphic novels, Nick asks Charlie about his eating because he is becoming worried about him. Charlie responds, saying</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Some days I’m fine and other days I control it. I used to do it a lot last year when everything at school was really bad. Sometimes it feels like the only thing I can control in my life.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although under represented in research, <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/eating-disorders-in-males/">statistics</a> indicate one third of people with an eating disorder are male and <a href="https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/youth-survey/2618-youth-survey-2022-report/file">body image in boys</a> is a major concern. Eating disorders affect mental and physical health. Shame and stigma are among the reasons people who identify as male <a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-022-00543-8">don’t seek help</a>. </p>
<h2>A range of disorders</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00864/full">Body dissatisfaction</a> comes from not liking one’s size, shape and weight and leads some boys and men down the dangerous path to <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/body-image/">an eating disorder</a>. </p>
<p>An <a href="https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders-a-z/eating-disorders-explained/">eating disorder</a> is an unhealthy relationship with one’s body and eating and includes such disorders as anorexia nervosa (fear of weight gain and deprivation of food), bulimia nervosa (which typically involves eating large amounts and then purging) and binge-eating disorder. </p>
<p>Binge-eating disorder is the most common of these for both males and females. It <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/binge-eating-disorder-men">involves</a> a preoccupation with eating, often rapidly, an amount of food much greater than someone would eat in a short amount of time, to the point of feeling uncomfortable. Disgust with oneself often follows in the aftermath.</p>
<h2>What drives it</h2>
<p>This obsession with one’s body and its <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/body-image/">perceived faults</a> comes from our society’s obsession with appearance particularly around a person’s weight, size and shape.</p>
<p>Male media images promote an idealised body that is often <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174014452030437X?casa_token=ePw-Tcht4hoAAAAA:ICTulL_wHHWg6aWGzTMe3d_yFyAZgHPeSptJ3wEKoAdoAW-4tB-v276f6lueG3cCYHfd2qpn">unattainable</a>. Seeing one’s own body as inferior in comparison can lead to attempts to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20353603">change it</a>. </p>
<p>Over <a href="https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/types/co-occurring-conditions/">half those diagnosed</a> with an eating disorder also receive a diagnosis for at least one psychiatric disorder such as depression, anxiety disorders (including obsessive-compulsive disorder), post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders. This makes treatment even more complex.</p>
<p>Other factors involved in the development of an eating disorder can be parental or peer teasing about appearance, especially about weight. Poor self esteem, a need for control (as articulated by Heartstopper character Charlie), experiencing sexual trauma and identity disturbance are also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8355094/">drivers</a>. Eating disorders are more common for <a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y">LGBTIQ+ people</a>. </p>
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<iframe width="100%" height="577" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ScNbNi2BTs0" title="Joe Locke:"Eating disorders on TV are scary, #heartstopper shows it's going to be okay & gives hope"" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-i-work-with-people-with-eating-disorders-i-see-many-rules-around-good-and-bad-foods-but-eating-is-never-that-simple-188803">When I work with people with eating disorders, I see many rules around 'good' and 'bad' foods – but eating is never that simple</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Dangerous methods</h2>
<p>Boys and men may engage in dieting and other weight-loss methods to try and <a href="https://theconversation.com/body-image-issues-affect-close-to-40-of-men-but-many-dont-get-the-support-they-need-179046">change or control their body</a>. They may also exercise excessively. Some may even turn to drugs to try and alter their body. </p>
<p>They can become consumed by thoughts about their body to the detriment of their schooling, socialising, work, family life and physical health, not to mention the financial impact. </p>
<p>Eating disorders are detrimental to a person’s <a href="https://healthtalk.org/eating-disorders/physical-symptoms">physical health</a> with increased risk of injury due to over exercising, rotting teeth due to purging, osteoporosis due to calcium loss and unstable hormones. They can be deadly, causing heart attack, malnourishment, liver and kidney issues, gastrointestinal disturbances, loss of fingers and toes due to poor circulation, as well as <a href="https://butterfly.org.au/news/suicide-up-to-31-times-more-likely-for-people-with-an-eating-disorder/">death by suicide</a>. </p>
<h2>Getting help early</h2>
<p>Early intervention is the key to <a href="https://www.australianacademicpress.com.au/books/details/289/No_Bodys_Perfect_A_helpers_guide_to_promoting_positive_body_image_in_children_and_young_people">fostering a positive body image</a> and self-esteem in young males. This involves recognition by parents, teachers and peers of unhealthy talk about and behaviour towards one’s body and eating. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/warning-signs-and-symptoms">Warning signs</a> might include skipping meals, excessive time spent on grooming, social avoidance, body consciousness and appearing sad and anxious. Education in schools about eating disorders helps young people understand what eating disorders are and normalises help-seeking. </p>
<p>As adults, we need to be aware our talk about dieting and comments about people’s bodies is influential. So is modelling healthy eating and exercising behaviour. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn08n63sQwI/?utm_source=ig_embed\u0026ig_rid=b656fc66-f3f9-40da-91ba-343fdd7b6b7f","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/some-ozempic-users-say-it-silences-food-noise-but-there-are-drug-free-ways-to-stop-thinking-about-food-so-much-208467">Some Ozempic users say it silences 'food noise'. But there are drug-free ways to stop thinking about food so much</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Doctors and health professionals need to be better educated on warning signs and what to look out for in their male patients and clients. Teachers and parents can <a href="https://www.australianacademicpress.com.au/books/details/352/Practitioner_Guide_to_Psychological_Care_for_People_with_Eating_Disorders">learn more</a> and be on the look out for signs too. </p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/erv.2959">Early intervention</a> is backed by evidence but help often comes too late. People who get help early, particularly in their adolescent years <a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-023-00758-3">when eating disorders often first start</a>, have a good success rate with the right treating team. This usually consists of a doctor, psychologist, dietitian and psychiatrist. </p>
<p>Families and people with eating disorders can find treatments and support in both the <a href="https://butterfly.org.au/">public and private sectors</a>. <a href="https://www.cbte.co/what-is-cbte/a-description-of-cbt-e/">Enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy</a> is usually used. It involves changing destructive behaviours and thoughts around the body, self and eating so a person can become healthier and happier. <a href="https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/EDV-Family-Based-Treatment.pdf">Family-based approaches</a> for children and adolescents are also used to counter behaviour such as food refusal. Of course, as with many mental health conditions, more <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/70-million-for-eating-disorders-and-childhood-mental-health">funding for more support services</a> is needed. </p>
<p>If you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder getting help fast is important before the eating disorder really takes hold. If you are worried about a friend, talk to an adult, such as a teacher or school counsellor. Starting a conversation with someone to ask them if they’re OK, how they are feeling and showing a non-judgmental attitude is also key. The character of Nick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ3XXeCpYjc">models this</a> well on Heartstopper. </p>
<p>Education about and becoming more aware of this issue and knowing how to get help is critical. As is reducing the <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/stigma-surrounding-men-eating-disorders">stigma</a> often associated with male eating disorders. </p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, consider contacting the <a href="https://butterfly.org.au/">Butterfly Foundation</a> on 1800 33 4673 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211912/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vivienne Lewis is a Clinical Psychologist working with people of both genders with eating disorders. She has recently written a book to assist health professionals and trainees working in this field called Eating Disorders – A practitioner’s guide to psychological care.
</span></em></p>Although under represented in research, about one third of people with an eating disorder are male. Netflix show Heartstopper explores this in season two.Vivienne Lewis, Assistant professor – Psychology, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2061702023-06-07T12:25:05Z2023-06-07T12:25:05ZMounting research documents the harmful effects of social media use on mental health, including body image and development of eating disorders<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529888/original/file-20230602-15-ynda6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C8%2C5742%2C3819&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The hours spent – and the content viewed – by teens on social media can lead to depression, anxiety and body image issues.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cell-phone-break-up-royalty-free-image/483933372?phrase=upset+teenager+on+phone&adppopup=true">Mixmike/E+via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Media influences and conventional beauty standards have long plagued society. </p>
<p>This issue took on new urgency in May 2023 when the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">U.S. surgeon general issued a major public advisory</a> over the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/health/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health.html">links between social media and youth mental health</a>. </p>
<p>Research shows that images of beauty as depicted in movies, television and magazines <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.103.4.836">can lead to mental illness</a>, issues with disordered eating and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpch%2F8.5.287">body image dissatisfaction</a>. </p>
<p>These trends have been documented <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.460">in women</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2008.27.3.279">and men</a>, in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.10.096">LGBTQ+ community</a> and in <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/wp-content/uploads/sites/1267/2022/10/Real-Cost-of-Beauty-Report-10-4-22.pdf">people of different racial</a> and ethnic backgrounds. </p>
<p>Experts have long suspected that social media may be playing a role in the growing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/mental-health-crisis-teens.html">mental health crisis in young people</a>. However, the surgeon general’s warning is one of the first <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/health/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health.html">public warnings supported by robust research</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The U.S. surgeon general says the youth mental health crisis is the ‘defining public health challenge of our time.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Social media can be toxic</h2>
<p>Body dissatisfaction among children and adolescents is commonplace and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2023.1037932">has been linked to</a> decreased quality of life, worsened mood and unhealthy eating habits. </p>
<p>As an <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/29092">eating disorder and anxiety specialist</a>, I regularly work with clients who experience eating disorder symptoms, self-esteem issues and anxiety <a href="https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/how-does-social-media-affect-our-mental-health">related to social media</a>. </p>
<p>I also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00116-5">have firsthand experience with this topic</a>: I am 15 years post-recovery from an eating disorder, and I grew up when people were beginning to widely use social media. In my view, the impact of social media on diet and exercise patterns needs to be further researched to inform future policy directions, school programming and therapeutic treatment. </p>
<p>The mental health of adolescents and teens has been <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/dear_colleague/2020/dcl-102320-YRBS-2009-2019-report.html">declining for the past decade</a>, and the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.psychres.2023.115082">COVID-19 pandemic contributed to worsening youth mental health</a> and brought it into the spotlight. As the mental health crisis surges, researchers have been taking a <a href="https://cuanschutz360.buzzsprout.com/1991131/10641970-how-does-social-media-affect-our-mental-health">close look at the role of social media</a> in these increasing mental health concerns.</p>
<h2>The pros and cons of social media</h2>
<p>About 95% of children and adolescents in the U.S. between the ages of 10 and 17 are <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">using social media almost constantly</a>.</p>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2021-coping-with-covid19-full-report.pdf">social media can be beneficial</a> for finding <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/26011">community support</a>. However, studies have also shown that the use of social media contributes to social comparisons, unrealistic expectations and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325">negative mental health effects</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, those who have <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use.pdf">preexisting mental health conditions</a> tend to spend more time on social media. People in that category are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817694499">self-objectify</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.06.003">internalize the thin body ideal</a>. Women and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091">people with preexisting body image concerns</a> are more likely to feel worse about their bodies and themselves after they spend time on social media.</p>
<h2>A breeding ground for eating disorders</h2>
<p>A recent review found that, as with mass media, the use of social media is a risk factor for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091">the development of an eating disorder</a>, body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating. In this review, social media use was shown to contribute to negative self-esteem, social comparisons, decreased emotional regulation and idealized self-presentation that negatively influenced body image.</p>
<p>Another study, called the <a href="https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/social-media-and-body-image.html">Dove Self-Esteem Project</a>, published in April 2023, found that 9 in 10 children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 are exposed to toxic beauty content on social media and 1 in 2 say that this has an impact on their mental health. </p>
<p>Eating disorders are <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-disorders-among-teens-have-more-than-doubled-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-heres-what-to-watch-for-201067">complex mental illnesses</a> that develop because of biological, social and psychological factors. Eating disorder hospitalizations and the need for treatment have dramatically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4346">increased during the pandemic</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.34913">Some reasons for this</a> include isolation, food scarcity, boredom and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1139261">social media content</a> related to weight gain, such as the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.04.002">quarantine15</a>.” That was a reference to the weight gain some people were experiencing at the beginning of the pandemic, similar to the “freshman 15” belief that one will gain 15 pounds in the first year of college. Many teens whose routines were disrupted by the pandemic turned to eating disorder behaviors for <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/26011">an often-false sense of control</a> or were influenced by family members who held unhealthy beliefs around food and exercise. </p>
<p>Researchers have also found that increased time at home during the pandemic <a href="https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/social-media-parenting-statistics/">led to more social media use by young people</a> and therefore more exposure to toxic body image and dieting social media content. </p>
<p>While social media alone will not cause eating disorders, <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/wp-content/uploads/sites/1267/2022/10/Real-Cost-of-Beauty-Report-10-4-22.pdf">societal beliefs about beauty</a>, which are amplified by social media, can contribute to the development of eating disorders. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42% of high school students say they feel ‘persistently sad’ and ‘hopeless.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Thinspo’ and ‘fitspo’</h2>
<p>Toxic beauty standards online include the normalization of cosmetic and surgical procedures and pro-eating-disorder content, which promotes and romanticizes eating disorders. For instance, social media sites have promoted trends such as “thinspo,” which is focused on the thin ideal, and “fitspo,” which perpetuates the belief of there being a perfect body that can be achieved with dieting, supplements and excessive exercise.</p>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-019-0246-2">social media content encouraging “clean eating</a>” or dieting through pseudoscientific claims can lead to obsessive behavior around dietary patterns. These unfounded “wellness” posts <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105659">can lead to weight cycling, yo-yo dieting</a>, chronic stress, body dissatisfaction and higher likelihood of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818821064">muscular and thin-ideal internalization</a>.</p>
<p>Some social media posts feature <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042186">pro-eating-disorder content</a>, which directly or indirectly encourages disordered eating. Other posts promote deliberate manipulation of one’s body, using harmful quotes such as “nothing tastes as good as thin feels.” These posts provide a false sense of connection, allowing users to bond over a shared goal of losing weight, altering one’s appearance and continuing patterns of disordered eating. </p>
<p>While young people <a href="https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/real-cost-of-beauty/thestats.html">can often recognize and understand</a> toxic beauty advice’s effects on their self-esteem, they may still continue to engage with this content. This is in part because friends, influencers and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.007">social media algorithms</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9898-9">encourage people</a> to follow certain accounts. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Not all teens are on social media.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>How policy changes could help</h2>
<p><a href="https://scrippsnews.com/stories/legislators-target-social-media-to-combat-eating-disorders/">Legislators across the U.S.</a> are proposing different <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/new-state-laws-aim-to-tackle-surge-in-eating-disorders">regulations for social media sites</a>. </p>
<p>Policy recommendations include increased transparency from social media companies, creation of higher standards of <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use?">privacy for children’s data</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0098858819849990">possible tax incentives and social responsibility initiatives</a> that would discourage companies and marketers from using altered photos.</p>
<h2>Phone-free zones</h2>
<p>Small steps at home to cut down on social media consumption can also make a difference. Parents and caregivers can <a href="https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/social-media-parenting-statistics/">create phone-free periods</a> for the family. Examples of this include putting phones away while the family watches a movie together or during mealtimes. </p>
<p>Adults can also help by modeling healthy social media behaviors and encouraging children and adolescents to focus <a href="https://www.dove.com/us/en/dove-self-esteem-project/help-for-parents/social-media/social-media-filters.html">on building connections and engaging in valued activities</a>. </p>
<p>Mindful social media consumption is another helpful approach. This requires recognizing what one is feeling during social media scrolling. If spending time on social media makes you feel worse about yourself or seems to be causing mood changes in your child, it may be time to change how you or your child interact with social media.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Hemendinger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows that social media, with it endless promotion of unrealistic standards of beauty, has had a negative impact on millions of young people.Emily Hemendinger, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2028822023-05-16T16:36:36Z2023-05-16T16:36:36Z‘It felt like how I looked was part of the decoration’: how getting wed affects women’s body image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525424/original/file-20230510-29-j4rlv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C22%2C7348%2C4880&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bride-looks-mirror-716099155">annie_zhak/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Weddings are supposed to be joyful, but this joy can be accompanied by a lot of stress. Alongside choosing the menu, flowers and decorations and sorting the table plan, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144508000570?via%3Dihub">body image</a> – how we think and feel about the way we look – can cause worries, too. </p>
<p>We could not identify any previous research that had formally looked at how brides in the UK felt about their body image. To address this, and fill the gap in our knowledge, <a href="https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/joan.2023.12.3.116">our research</a> explored how brides felt about their body image in the run-up to their wedding. We focused in particular on any appearance concerns that they had and how these made them feel – from the planning stage right up to the big day itself. </p>
<p>One hundred and thirty-four women took part in either an <a href="https://www.aestheticnursing.co.uk/content/clinical/a-qualitative-exploration-of-pre-wedding-body-image-concerns-in-uk-brides">interview or an online survey</a>. They were a mix of women planning their weddings and those who had been married in the past three years. Many women experienced feelings of pressure and expectation to look a certain way on their wedding day. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/love-island-ditches-fast-fashion-how-reality-celebrities-influence-young-shoppers-habits-183771">Love Island ditches fast fashion: how reality celebrities influence young shoppers’ habits</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-clothes-last-longer-its-good-for-your-bank-account-and-the-environment-too-201823">How to make your clothes last longer – it’s good for your bank account and the environment too</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-weddings-how-celebrating-small-wins-and-unconventional-milestones-can-bring-joy-197755">It’s not just weddings – how celebrating small wins and unconventional milestones can bring joy</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>They felt that this pressure came from various sources, including family and friends. They told us that others’ perceptions of how they looked affected their own feelings, both on the wedding day and afterwards. One said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you know other people think you look nice then you have more confidence.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I didn’t want to feel ashamed of my appearance. I knew there would be a lot of attention and comments on it. Didn’t want to feel like I’d let people down…there were lots of questions about my appearance and dresses mainly from other women. It felt like how I looked was part of the ‘decoration’ in the same way the table settings and order of service was.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many of the women we spoke to felt the need to adhere to these pressures through fear of judgment and the expectation that all brides should look beautiful. </p>
<h2>Looking back</h2>
<p>The knowledge that wedding photographs and videos would provide permanent visual evidence of how they looked added to body image pressures. One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I wanted to look back at the photographs and feel 100% comfortable with what I saw. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The pressure felt by the women we spoke to also stemmed from the bridal industry, which perpetuates norms and assumptions about how brides should look. One woman, for example, talked about a bad experience she had in a bridalwear shop:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I felt the ladies in the dress shop were quite judgemental, saying I needed to eat better and basically lose weight, so I felt very negative towards me. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Nearly 70% of the women we spoke to who were planning their weddings intended to lose weight in preparation for their wedding day. The pressure to lose weight had a significant effect on their feelings and emotions. One said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m really worried that preparing my weight for my wedding will re-trigger my anorexia and I don’t think people talk about the unnecessary pressure for brides and grooms to lose weight. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some of the women reported going to extreme measures to achieve their weight-loss goals, including surgery. One had a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/weight-loss-surgery/">gastric band</a> fitted in the run-up to the wedding: this is a band around the stomach that limits its expansion, leading to feeling full sooner. Another had a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/tummy-tuck/">tummy tuck</a> – cosmetic surgery to improve the shape of the stomach area.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="View through camera of couple on wedding day" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525460/original/file-20230510-9228-qfop3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women we spoke to talked about the impact of having a permanent record of how they looked on their wedding day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cropped-hand-photographer-holding-camera-against-674390986">vectorfusionart/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Among the women we spoke to who were already married, only 27% had reached the weight they wanted to for their wedding. One said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was distressed when I realised I wouldn’t achieve this weight. I then felt fine approaching the day itself. However, I felt embarrassed after seeing photos of me and regretted getting married at my weight.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our findings back up what other researchers have found in countries outside of the UK, such as in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144508000570">Australia</a> and the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471015308000561">US</a>. This research has drawn attention to the powerful pressures related to wedding appearance and the expectation of how women should look when getting married. </p>
<p>If you are getting married, then it is completely natural for you to want to look your best, but prioritise your own wellbeing, too. </p>
<p>If one of your friends or family members is getting married, or if you work in the wedding industry, be conscious of what you are saying to the brides in your life. Make sure you are not inadvertently adding any pressures or expectations to them by commenting on their appearance during what can already be a stressful time. Focus on the joy and connection that is the real heart of a wedding.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202882/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Nearly 70% of the women we spoke to who were planning their weddings intended to lose weight in preparation for their wedding day.Alison Owen, Lecturer in Health Psychology, Staffordshire UniversityJennifer Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Psychological Research Methods, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033832023-04-14T16:06:55Z2023-04-14T16:06:55ZHow beauty filters like TikTok’s ‘bold glamour’ affect tweens using social media<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519652/original/file-20230405-16-jn5lwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5398%2C3563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Teenagers using social media filters. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/three-teenage-girls-lying-on-bed-787007248">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a43203022/tiktok-bold-glamour-filter/">TikTok’s new “bold glamour” filter</a> “enhances” physical features in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish whether someone is using a filter or not, despite its airbrushing qualities.</p>
<p>Unlike its predecessors, this filter allows movement through an AI feature with the filter remaining fixed on when, for example, a hand crosses the face, with fewer glitches. </p>
<p>Users could be left comparing their unfiltered appearance with their “perfect” filtered self. They may start to develop unrealistic goals of perceived physical perfection that affect their self esteem. </p>
<p>Although the terms of service for most social media platforms require users to be at least 13, a significant number of “tweens” (children between the ages of nine and 12) <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/childrens/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2022">now have a social media profile</a>.</p>
<p>Online safety lessons in schools <a href="https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Childrens-Commissioner-for-England-Life-in-Likes-3.pdf">tend to concentrate</a> on physical risk and predatory behaviour rather than emotional risks that children may encounter, as these may not be as apparent or experienced by adults.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1640275766100279296"}"></div></p>
<p>The <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1461444819873644">damaging effect of “filters”</a> (digital image effects that alter a person’s appearance) is less commonly taught.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/KXDECXZB3CVNZNDHNURF/full?target=10.1080/03004279.2022.2095416">In my research</a>, I presented eight focus groups with activities to generate discussions with children of 10 and 11 years of age who were in their final year of primary school. One of the activities was related to the use of filters.</p>
<p>Participants were given a set of photographs of people using filters on the social media site Snapchat and were asked questions such as: “How are these different from how they look in real life?” and “why do people use these filters?”</p>
<p>The results demonstrated a clear and distinct gender divide. The boys said they used filters for fun and entertainment, favouring dog ears and exaggerated tongues to “make people laugh”. The girls used filters to create an idealised image that conformed to beauty ideals and for validation in the form of likes and comments.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman uses a filter to add pink ears to her photo." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519654/original/file-20230405-22-c3mgqa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Snapchat filters are now a daily part of life for many tweens and teens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/moscow-russia-may-24-2019-snapchat-1444040960">Zyabich/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One girl, Samantha, said: “[filters] make you look perfect and flawless”. Another explained: “I like putting filters on because it doesn’t show my birthmark at all. It takes the blemishes off my face”. </p>
<p>Similarly, tween Mia explained: “when you put a filter on, it makes your skin tone better and it covers up any spots or like any bruises and stuff that you feel insecure about in yourself.”</p>
<p>My findings suggest that girls are internalising and aspiring to the beauty ideals that they are consuming via social media. There is a pressure to adopt a polished, physical appearance through filters, which may have <a href="http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/82913/3/__smbhome.uscs.susx.ac.uk_dm50_Desktop_Jaynes%20V.pdf">emotional repercussions</a>.</p>
<h2>‘Beauty isn’t everything’</h2>
<p>I also used collaging as an activity for exploring individual experiences. One child, Sophie, chose to show a binary depiction of herself as two halves. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A child's drawing is split down the middle to show two halves of her personality." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519648/original/file-20230405-20-xj9qzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sophie’s collage.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On the social media side, she used lots of different animal prints in triangles to show that you can be lots of different things and there are lots of different parts of yourself.</p>
<p>She explained that the patterns she had chosen looked unnatural, unlike the more realistic filters online. </p>
<p>Because (like other females in the study) she felt that there is an expectation for girls to look a certain way, Sophie also wrote “no one is perfect” on her collage.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A drawing of two girls surrounded by phrases related to filters." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519649/original/file-20230405-1712-cfeumq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Karen’s collage.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the girls in my research, there was a sense that self expression was strongly linked to appearance, with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26612721/">pressure to adhere</a> to certain perceived physical ideals.</p>
<p>In her collage, Karen discussed at length how social media can be an augmented reality and can emphasise feelings of self consciousness linked to physical appearance.</p>
<p>The characters drawn on her collage show a “real-life” self that had no filter, which “makes her sad” and a “filter self” which used make up and filters to enhance her appearance and made her happy. </p>
<p>She also emphasised the feelings of negative self-esteem that viewing filtered images could have by saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>People try and make themselves look beautiful and at the end it may really disappoint them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1461444819871669?journalCode=nmsa">Similar research from 2020</a> also concluded that girls tend to replicate “female” cues popularised through social media patterns, such as exaggerated lips and flawless skin. </p>
<p>Although my research specifically focused on Snapchat, other social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram also encourage enhancing appearance through filters.</p>
<p>Beauty filters reinforce the message that wearing makeup, looking a certain way and conforming to beauty ideals, is the desired physical state for women. Isabel had a strong message for girls in her collage: “be your own person and stop comparing yourself to others”.</p>
<p>The widespread use of filters is certainly not facilitating this message and it is important that the emotional repercussions of using these appearance altering tools – as well as continually seeing them in social media feeds – is addressed. </p>
<p>Open discussions could help educate girls to learn that these unattainable physical aspirations do not represent reality.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203383/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Pescott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The damaging effect of social media filters is rarely taught in schools.Claire Pescott, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of South WalesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010672023-03-31T12:23:17Z2023-03-31T12:23:17ZEating disorders among teens have more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic – here’s what to watch for<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517032/original/file-20230322-419-qse5vl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C46%2C5129%2C3380&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The traditional assumption that eating disorders primarily affect affluent white women has led to stigma, stereotyping and misunderstanding. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/asia-woman-feeling-sad-in-the-bedroom-royalty-free-image/1324460530?phrase=eating%20disorders%20in%20teens&adppopup=true">toondelamour/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.12.026">associated with worsening mental health</a> among teens, including increasing numbers of patients with eating disorders. In fact, research indicates that the number of teens with eating disorders <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4346">at least doubled during the pandemic</a>. </p>
<p>This is particularly concerning given that eating disorders <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74">are among the most deadly</a> of all mental health diagnoses, and teens with eating disorders are at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.08.023">higher risk for suicide</a> than the general population.</p>
<p>While experts don’t know exactly why eating disorders develop, studies show that <a href="https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v93i3.13140">body dissatisfaction and desire for weight loss</a> are key contributors. This can make conversations around weight and healthy behaviors particularly tricky with teens and young adults.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/30628475">adolescent medicine doctor</a> <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Sydney-M-Hartman-Munick-2175760133">specializing in eating disorders</a>, I have seen firsthand the increases in patients with eating disorders as well as the detrimental effects of eating disorder stereotypes. I regularly work with families to help teens develop positive relationships with body image, eating and exercise.</p>
<p>Understanding the signs of a possible eating disorder is important, as studies suggest that timely diagnosis and treatment leads to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22840">better long-term outcomes</a> and to better chances of full recovery. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Excessive dieting and withdrawal from friends are two signs of disordered eating.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Eating disorders defined</h2>
<p>Eating disorders, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7">often start in adolescence</a>, include <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/anorexia-nervosa/">anorexia nervosa</a>, <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/bulimia-nervosa/">bulimia nervosa</a>, <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/binge-eating-disorder/">binge eating disorder</a>, <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/other-specified-feeding-or-eating-disorders/">other specified feeding and eating disorders</a> and <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/avoidant-restrictive-food-intake-disorder-arfid/">avoidant restrictive food intake disorder</a>. Each eating disorder has specific criteria that must be met in order to receive a diagnosis, which is made by a professional with eating disorder expertise.</p>
<p>Research suggests that up to 10% of people will develop <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/">an eating disorder in their lifetime</a>. Medical complications from eating disorders, such as low heart rate and electrolyte abnormalities, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00759-2">can be dangerous and result in hospitalization</a>, and malnutrition can affect growth and development. Many of the patients I see in clinic show signs of paused puberty and stalled growth, which can influence bone health, adult height and other aspects of health if not addressed quickly.</p>
<p>Teens are also at risk for disordered eating behaviors such as intentional vomiting, caloric restriction, binge eating, overexercise, the use of weight loss supplements and misuse of laxatives. </p>
<p>A recent study estimated that 1 in 5 teens may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.5848">struggle with disordered eating behaviors</a>. While these behaviors alone may not qualify as an eating disorder, they may predict the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2006.01.003">development of eating disorders later on</a>.</p>
<p>Treatment methods for eating disorders are <a href="https://www.aedweb.org/resources/about-eating-disorders/treatment-options">varied and depend on multiple factors</a>, including a patient’s medical stability, family preference and needs, local resources and insurance coverage. </p>
<p>Treatment can include a team consisting of a medical provider, nutritionist and therapist, or might involve the use of a specialized eating disorder program. Referral to one of these treatment methods may come from a pediatrician or a specialized eating disorder provider.</p>
<h2>Unpacking misconceptions and stereotypes</h2>
<p>Traditional ideas and stereotypes about eating disorders have left many people with the impression that it is mainly thin, white, affluent females who develop eating disorders. However, research demonstrates that anyone can develop these conditions, regardless of age, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.11.004">race</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00720-9">body size</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.03.003">gender identity</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0801-y">sexual orientation</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22846">socioeconomic status</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, stereotypes and assumptions about eating disorders have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00730-7">contributed to health disparities</a> in screening, diagnosis and treatment. Studies have documented negative eating disorder treatment experiences among <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101517">transgender and gender-diverse</a> individuals, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23402">Black and Indigenous</a> people and those <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/magazine/anorexia-obesity-eating-disorder.html">with larger body size</a>. Some contributors to these negative experiences include lack of diversity and training among treatment providers, treatment plans without cultural or economic nutritional considerations and differential treatment when a patient is not visibly underweight, among others. </p>
<p>Contrary to popular assumptions, studies show teen boys are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FMOP.0000000000000911">at risk for eating disorders as well</a>. These often go undetected and can be disguised as a desire to become more muscular. However, eating disorders are just as dangerous for boys as they are for girls.</p>
<p>Parents and loved ones can play a role in helping to dispel these stereotypes by advocating for their child at the pediatrician’s office if concern arises and by recognizing red flags for eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors.</p>
<h2>Warning signs</h2>
<p>Given how common disordered eating and eating disorders are among teens, it is important to understand <a href="https://www.medainc.org/resources-2/about-eating-disorders/">some possible signs</a> of these worrisome behaviors and what to do about them.</p>
<p>Problematic behaviors can include eating alone or in secret and a hyperfocus on “healthy” foods and distress when those foods aren’t readily available. Other warning signs include significantly decreased portion sizes, skipped meals, fights at mealtime, using the bathroom immediately after eating and weight loss. </p>
<p>Because these behaviors often feel secretive and shameful, it may feel difficult to bring them up with teens. Taking a warm but direct approach when the teen is calm can be helpful, while letting them know you have noticed the behavior and are there to support them without judgment or blame. I always make sure to let my patients know that my job is to be on their team, rather than to just tell them what to do.</p>
<p>Teens may not immediately open up about their own concerns, but if behaviors like this are present, don’t hesitate to have them seen at their pediatrician’s office. Following up with patients who have shown signs of having an eating disorder and promptly <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/where-do-i-start-0">referring them to a specialist</a> who can further evaluate the patient are crucial for getting teens the help they may need. Resources for families <a href="https://www.feast-ed.org/">can be helpful</a> to navigate the fear and uncertainty that can come along with the diagnosis of an eating disorder.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Many misconceptions exist about eating disorders, including that they are about vanity or that people should just be able to stop.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Focus on health, not size</h2>
<p>Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000910">poor body image</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v93i3.13140">body dissatisfaction</a> can put teens at risk for disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders. </p>
<p>Parents play an important role in the development of teens’ self-esteem, and research demonstrates that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00561-6">negative comments from parents</a> about weight, body size and eating are associated with eating disorder-type thoughts in teens. Therefore, when talking to teens, it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.78">can be beneficial</a> to take a weight-neutral approach, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ncp.10885">focuses more on overall health</a> rather than weight or size. I unfortunately have had many patients with eating disorders who were scolded or teased about their weight by family members; this can be really harmful in the long run.</p>
<p>One helpful strategy is to incorporate lots of variety into a teen’s diet. If doable, trying new foods as a family can encourage your teen to try something they haven’t before. Try to avoid terms such as “junk” or “guilt” when discussing foods. Teaching teens to appreciate lots of different kinds of foods in their diet allows them to develop a healthy, knowledgeable relationship with food. If you’re feeling stuck, you may want to ask your pediatrician about seeing a dietitian.</p>
<p>It’s important to remember that teens need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13330">a lot of nutrition</a> to support growth and development, often more than adults do, and regular eating helps avoid extreme hunger that can lead to overeating. Letting teens listen to their bodies and learn their own hunger and fullness cues will help them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00852-4">eat in a healthy way</a> and create healthy long-term habits.</p>
<p>In my experience, teens are more likely to exercise consistently when <a href="https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/move-your-way-community-resources/campaign-materials/materials-kids-and-teens#videos">they find an activity</a> that they enjoy. Exercise doesn’t need to mean lifting weights at the gym; teens can move their bodies by taking a walk in nature, moving to music in their rooms or playing a pickup game of basketball or soccer with a friend or sibling. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm">Focusing on the positive things</a> exercise can do for the body such as improvements in mood and energy can help avoid making movement feel compulsive or forced. When teens are able to find movement that they enjoy, it can help them to appreciate their body for all it is able to do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201067/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sydney Hartman-Munick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Eating disorders in teens are common and dangerous, and parents and loved ones play a crucial role in helping to both identify concerning behaviors and promote healthy ones.Sydney Hartman-Munick, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, UMass Chan Medical SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1955382023-03-09T13:39:49Z2023-03-09T13:39:49ZBody dysmorphic disorder is more common than eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, yet few people are aware of its dangers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513001/original/file-20230301-20-5yrxjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C0%2C8231%2C4644&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Those with body dysmorphic disorder often check themselves – and their perceived defects.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-with-bdd-body-dysmorphic-disorder-royalty-free-image/1360144717">Stevica Mrdja/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/el-trastorno-dismorfico-corporal-es-mas-frecuente-que-los-trastornos-alimentarios-como-la-anorexia-y-la-bulimia-pero-pocas-personas-son-conscientes-de-sus-peligros-202290">Leer en español.</a></em> </p>
<p>While eating disorders have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455870114005">widely publicized for decades</a>, far less attention has been given to a related condition called <a href="https://bdd.iocdf.org/about-bdd/">body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD</a>. </p>
<p>Body dysmorphic disorder is often hidden from public view due to the shame people feel about one or more parts of their body, yet it is a devastating, debilitating psychological condition. People with the disorder suffer from obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors related to their appearance.</p>
<p>Whereas people with eating disorders might view their underweight body as too fat, those with body dysmorphic disorder see themselves as ugly or disfigured even though they appear normal or attractive to others.</p>
<p>Body dysmorphic disorder is more common in both men and women than bulimia or anorexia. About <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852900016436">2.5% of women and 2.2% of men</a> in the U.S. meet the criteria for body dysmorphic disorder – that’s higher than the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in the general population.</p>
<p>For comparison, at any point in time, bulimia is seen in <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders">roughly 1.5% of women and 0.5% of men</a> in the U.S., and anorexia in <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders">0.35% of women and 0.1% of men</a>.</p>
<p>We are a team of communication and mental health researchers and clinicians from <a href="https://feartocourage.com/about-dr-eva-fisher/">Colorado State University Global</a>, <a href="https://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/2313-fugen-neziroglu">Hofstra Medical School</a> and the <a href="https://psychiatry.utoronto.ca/faculty/jamie-feusner">University of Toronto</a>. One of us, Eva Fisher, lived with the disorder for almost 15 years before getting help and recovering. My book, titled “The BDD Family,” provides insights into my <a href="https://feartocourage.com/thebddfamily-book/">daily struggles with body dysmorphic disorder</a> along with information about diagnosis and treatment. </p>
<p>In our view, body dysmorphic disorder needs to be better understood and publicized so that more people suffering from the condition can be properly diagnosed and treated. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Body dysmorphic disorder often involves a fixation on a single feature, like the shape or size of one’s nose, a mole or the shape or curvature of a certain part of the body.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Comparison between BDD and eating disorders</h2>
<p>People with body dysmorphic disorder and those with eating disorders share similar negative emotions such as shame, disgust and anger about their appearance. They also engage in some similar behaviors, such as mirror checking, taking photos to check themselves, seeking reassurance from others about their appearance, and using clothing to camouflage or conceal perceived defects.</p>
<p>People who suffer from these disorders commonly avoid places and activities due to self-consciousness about their appearance. In addition, those with eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder may lack the knowledge that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2012.03.023">their body image beliefs are distorted</a>.</p>
<p>Depression is common in people with body dysmorphic disorder, and they have a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720002998">higher rate of suicidality</a> than those with eating disorders, including thoughts about committing suicide and suicide attempts. Although both eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder can be severe and life-threatening, people with body dysmorphic disorder on average <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2009.03.001">experience more impairment in daily functioning</a> than those with eating disorders.</p>
<h2>A personal view</h2>
<p>My (Eva’s) body dysmorphic disorder symptoms started at age 16. Some causes could have been childhood bullying and perfectionism about my appearance. I would obsess about the shape and size of my nose for more than eight hours a day and constantly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkZGSIYcEw&t=23s">compare my appearance</a> to models in fashion magazines. </p>
<p>I was convinced that others were judging me negatively because of my nose, which I perceived to be fat and ugly. I hated my nose so much that I didn’t want to get married or have children because I feared they would inherit it.</p>
<p>Even after getting plastic surgery at age 18 to make my nose thinner, I still hated it. This is a very common outcome for people with the disorder who undergo cosmetic surgery procedures. </p>
<p>Research indicates that 66% of people with body dysmorphic disorder have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1740-1445(03)00003-2">received cosmetic or dermatological treatment</a>. However, even when people feel better about one part of their body after surgery, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0030">image obsession often moves</a> to <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/body-dysmorphic-disorder-9780190254131?cc=ca&lang=en&">one or more other body parts</a>. </p>
<p>Some patients will have multiple procedures on the same body part. Other people are so disappointed by the results of their surgery that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0013">they want to commit suicide</a>. </p>
<p>Tragically, many people with body dysmorphic disorder think about killing themselves, and others attempt to take their own lives. Approximately 80% of people with body dysmorphic disorder <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0013">experience lifetime suicidal ideation</a>, and 24% to 28% have attempted suicide. Often, they are young men and women who feel so hopeless about their perceived appearance defects that suicide seems like the only way to end their suffering.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Body dysmorphic disorder carries a high risk of suicide, and sometimes pursuing dermatological solutions can make the issues worse if the person isn’t satisfied with them.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When appearance concerns become problematic</h2>
<p>So how is body dysmorphic disorder different from normal appearance concerns? Researchers have found evidence that while <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191119879241">appearance dissatisfaction can range in severity</a>, there is a distinct group of people with much higher appearance concerns, many of whom likely have the disorder. They feel much worse about their appearance than those with normal appearance concerns and experience greater anxiety, depression, shame and self-disgust about some aspects of their appearance.</p>
<p>About one-third of people with the disorder <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0006">obsess about their perceived flaws</a> for one to three hours a day, nearly 40% for three to eight hours a day and about a quarter for more than eight hours a day. Most people with body dysmorphic disorder know they spend <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/body-dysmorphic-disorder-9780190254131?cc=ca&lang=en&">too much time thinking about their appearance</a>, but others with the condition mistakenly believe that it’s entirely normal to worry about their appearance for hours every day. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0006">Common body dysmorphic disorder behaviors</a> include, from most to least common:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>camouflaging the perceived defects with clothing and makeup</p></li>
<li><p>comparing one’s appearance to others </p></li>
<li><p>checking one’s appearance in mirrors and other reflective surfaces</p></li>
<li><p>seeking cosmetic treatments such as surgery and dermatology</p></li>
<li><p>repeatedly taking photos to check one’s appearance</p></li>
<li><p>seeking reassurance from others about the perceived flaw or convincing others that it is unattractive </p></li>
<li><p>touching the perceived flaw</p></li>
<li><p>excessively changing clothes</p></li>
<li><p>dieting and skin picking to improve appearance</p></li>
<li><p>engaging in excessive exercise, including excessive weightlifting</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Discovering the causes of body dysmorphic disorder</h2>
<p>The exact causes of body dysmorphic disorder are unknown. Possible developmental causes include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291711002741">genetic factors</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2007.10.002">childhood bullying</a> and childhood teasing about appearance and competency, as well as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152256">childhood maltreatment and trauma</a>. Other factors that could play a role include growing up in a family with an <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/imagined-ugliness/">emphasis on appearance</a>, perfectionist standards concerning appearance and exposure to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.159.10.1788">high ideals of attractiveness</a> and beauty in the mass media. </p>
<p>Common personality traits among people with body dysmorphic disorder include perfectionism along with shyness, social anxiety, low self-esteem and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2005.04.012">sensitivity to rejection and criticism</a>. </p>
<p>Researchers have found that people with the disorder may have abnormalities in brain functioning. For instance, one study found that people with body dysmorphic disorder, as well as those with anorexia, have an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715000045">information processing bias</a> toward more detailed visual information rather than viewing images globally – in other words, seeing the trees rather than the forest. This suggests that abnormalities in the brain’s visual system could contribute to the distortions that those with body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia experience.</p>
<h2>Effective treatments</h2>
<p>Fortunately, there are effective treatments for people with body dysmorphic disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication <a href="https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_528_18">are both used to treat the disorder</a>. </p>
<p>During cognitive behavioral therapy, therapists work with patients to help them modify intrusive thoughts and beliefs about physical appearance and to eliminate problematic behaviors associated with body image, such as mirror checking and reassurance seeking. </p>
<p>Medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, such as Prozac and Zoloft can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3928%2F00485713-20100701-05">reduce or eliminate cognitive distortions</a>, depression, anxiety, negative beliefs and compulsive behaviors. They can also increase levels of insight and improve daily functioning. </p>
<p>I (Eva) worked with a psychologist and psychiatrist to combat the depression and anxiety caused by my appearance concerns. Fortunately, both the <a href="https://bddfoundation.org/beating-bdd-podcast-27">medication and therapy</a> were effective in reducing my negative feelings and compulsive behaviors. </p>
<p>Two years after I started treatment, my symptoms lessened and became manageable. Today I facilitate <a href="https://feartocourage.com/bdd-resources/bdd-support-group/">two online support groups</a> and encourage people to learn more about the disorder. Group members provide support and comfort to others who understand their daily struggles. They also share advice about getting help for this common but little known body image disorder. </p>
<p>More information about diagnosis and treatment for body dysmorphic disorder is available on the <a href="https://bdd.iocdf.org/">International OCD Foundation BDD</a> site.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195538/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eva Fisher works for Colorado State University Global. She is affiliated with the International OCD Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fugen Neziroglu is affiliated with OCDNY, IOCD, ADAA. She has receved funding from Bio Haven Pharmaceutical Company. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamie Feusner receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Klarman Family Foundation. He is affiliated with NOCD, Inc. </span></em></p>About a quarter of those with body dysmorphic disorder attempt suicide or struggle with ideas of suicide. Fortunately, medication and therapy have proved highly effective at treating the disorder.Eva Fisher, Communication Faculty Member, Colorado State University GlobalFugen Neziroglu, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Hofstra UniversityJamie Feusner, Professor of Psychiatry and Clinician Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2011462023-03-08T21:06:23Z2023-03-08T21:06:23ZWomen’s weight and well-being: Why we need to accept the pregnant body as a valued female form<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513523/original/file-20230305-30-e6519h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=90%2C81%2C5373%2C3555&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Societal pressures to maintain the ideal female body may be heightened during pregnancy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Ryutaro Tsukata)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pregnancy is a distinct life stage characterized by dramatic physiological changes, and medical tracking of those changes, <a href="https://www.pregnancyinfo.ca/your-pregnancy/healthy-pregnancy/weight-gain-during-pregnancy/">including weight gain</a>, is routine to monitor the health of the mother and the developing infant. What may be missing from weight monitoring is the psychological and emotional component of these changes. </p>
<p>Western society tends to view the female body <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12010">as an object</a> that should be constantly inspected and evaluated, and valued for its utility and ability to give pleasure. Women can also ascribe to these notions, engaging in constant self-inspection and evaluation of their own bodies through the process of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x">self-objectification</a>. </p>
<p>A woman’s ability to meet societal standards for the female body can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9379-x">a source of power</a>, and any deviation from the ideal physical form can result in a loss of power. Exercise, diet or a combination of both are often seen as tools women can use to control their bodies to attain and maintain the ideal female form. </p>
<p>The ability to effectively control one’s body shape, size and appearance is seen as an accomplishment. Women who miss the mark — those who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12010">unsuccessful in controlling</a> their bodies — can be affected both physically and emotionally. These women may show signs of depression, disordered eating, negative body image and low libido. </p>
<p>Given the ubiquity of body objectification, these psychological repercussions can form part of women’s daily lives. </p>
<h2>Body image in pregnancy</h2>
<p>Societal pressures to maintain the ideal female body may be heightened during pregnancy. As women negotiate their new roles as mothers-to-be, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.09.002">previous research</a> has shown that women report moderate declines in body image and body satisfaction as pregnancy progresses. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fat-shaming-pregnant-women-isnt-just-mean-its-harmful-127167">Fat-shaming pregnant women isn't just mean, it's harmful</a>
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<p>Interviews with young mothers exploring their experiences of weight gain during their first pregnancy <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105304042346">revealed a view</a> of the pregnant body that is distinct from the ideal female body. This falls into the larger context of how femininity is viewed: that women’s value lies in their appearance and ability to give birth. </p>
<p>In this perspective, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-330">the pregnant body</a> is not only distinct from the ideal female body, but deliberately <a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/Women_Health_and_the_Mind.html?id=-QPbAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y">conflicts with the view</a> of the ideal female body as an aesthetic object. The pregnant body is still monitored and evaluated, but emphasis is placed on its utility and reproductive role.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353500010003004">Previous analysis</a> of individual and group interviews with young mothers, along with examination of booklets and handouts given to pregnant women, showed discussions around pregnancy and childbirth are often filtered through a medical lens. </p>
<p>This medical context <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353500010003004">has been described</a> as reducing women’s power over their pregnant bodies by assuming women are less emotionally competent during pregnancy and are unable to make proper decisions for themselves about their bodies. It necessitates a separation between women’s minds and their bodies, and prioritizes the developing infant.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of pregnant women sitting together" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514048/original/file-20230307-1271-doqe9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">While medicalized monitoring during pregnancy focuses on physical health, psychosocial assessment may be neglected.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Soon after pregnancy, women often use restricted eating and structured exercise to try to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221017-bounce-back-culture-how-pressure-to-snapback-hurts-new-mothers">craft their bodies back</a> into the societal ideal of a lean female form. If possible, they may try to remain close to this form during pregnancy.</p>
<p>A pregnant woman’s fixation on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23264">needing to return to pre-pregnancy weight</a> could meet the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2006.02.001">criteria for possible presence of body dysmorphia</a> and increased risk for disordered eating.</p>
<p>When women <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x">continually monitor</a> and evaluate their bodies for deviations from the ideal female form, their well-being can become largely dependent on their physical appearance. This can further result in lower psychological functioning and minimization of their lived experiences. </p>
<h2>Defining psychosocial goals</h2>
<p>While medicalized monitoring during pregnancy has done well to focus on physical development of both mother and infant, psychosocial assessment may be a neglected part of this process. </p>
<p>There are defined psychosocial adjustment goals for several life stages. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1999.0269">emerging adults</a> are encouraged to become independent, given space for identity formation, and are nudged towards leaving the parental home. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.4.2.195">Older adults</a> are encouraged to accept the nature and extent of the physical and emotional changes associated with aging, as well as changes in identity as these relate to family and career. </p>
<p>Similarly, outlining of psychosocial adjustment goals for pregnancy would empower women in their acceptance of their body’s physical changes, and how those differ from societal expectations of the ideal female form. As the level of self-objectification is tracked during pregnancy, pregnant women can be encouraged to move from body dysmorphia towards body acceptance. </p>
<p>This could help establish positive behaviours in which food is used for comfort and nourishment, and structured physical activity is as much an enjoyable endeavour as a means towards improving health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201146/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simone Holligan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One component that may be missing from weight monitoring during pregnancy is the psychological and emotional impact of these changes.Simone Holligan, Lecturer, College of Social & Applied Human Sciences, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2008442023-03-08T19:39:37Z2023-03-08T19:39:37ZThe marketing tricks that have kept Barbie’s brand alive for over 60 years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514011/original/file-20230307-16-wetih1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=235%2C84%2C3687%2C2547&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/penang-malaysia-26-dec-2018-barbie-1286874817">TY Lim/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rejected by the toy industry <a href="https://time.com/4197596/barbies-triumphs-and-controveries-57-years-of-highs-and-lows/">at first</a>, Barbie is now one of America’s <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/brandspark-most-trusted-brands-america-2022">most trusted brands</a>. “She” – the 11.5 inch blonde doll, but also her brand persona – generated worldwide sales of around <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/370361/gross-sales-of-mattel-s-barbie-brand/">US$1.5 billion</a> (£1.3 billion) in 2022, and has a <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1009126/barbie-brand-value-worldwide/">brand value</a> of US$590 million.</p>
<p>Barbie debuted on March 9 1959 at the New York International Toy Fair as Barbie Teenage Fashion Model. Sixty-four years later, the doll continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological and psychological interest. By creating an <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_Brands_Become_Icons.html?id=thiThfWnZ6UC&redir_esc=y">iconic brand</a> with special meaning for fans of all ages (<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/12/business/barbie-for-preschoolers/index.html">Barbie is marketed to children aged three and older</a>), toy company Mattel has successfully extended the lifecycle of the Barbie brand for well over half a century. </p>
<p>Barbie is also a polarising figure. The brand embodies the notion of a “<a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1422&context=law_facpub">double bind</a>”, celebrated as an inspirational role model while at the same time <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4164067">blamed</a> for creating unrealistic expectations of women, particularly when it comes to how they should look. </p>
<p>But while most toys remain popular for only two or three years, Barbie’s long-term success reflects Mattel’s responsiveness and adaptability to the changing cultural and political discourse in society and around this doll. So how has the company done it?</p>
<h2>A Barbie girl, in a Barbie world</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2013.764346">Research shows</a> there are many ways to build and sustain brand characters, but Mattel has used a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Brown-9/publication/233625831_Where_the_wild_brands_are_Some_thoughts_on_anthropomorphic_marketing/links/59cdf88fa6fdcce3b34b5cb8/Where-the-wild-brands-are-Some-thoughts-on-anthropomorphic-marketing.pdf?_sg%5B0%5D=started_experiment_milestone&origin=journalDetail&_rtd=e30%3D">“multiply” strategy</a> for Barbie. This has involved introducing other characters that play supporting roles in Barbie’s “world”.</p>
<p>Over the years, these supporting acts were introduced to portray Barbie’s relationship with friends and family. First there was Ken (1961), Barbie’s boyfriend, then her younger sister Skipper (1964), followed by friends including Midge (1963) and Christie (1968), the first black Barbie character. </p>
<p>The storylines and individual characteristics of these additional characters connect to Barbie’s persona and increase brand visibility. Mattel has also used storytelling tactics such as announcing that Barbie and Ken had officially broken up on Valentine’s Day in 2004 (<a href="https://ew.com/article/2011/02/14/ken-barbie-back-together-valentines-day/">they got back together in 2011</a>). Such stories resonate with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21758">fans’ emotions</a>, sustaining interest in the brand.</p>
<p>These tactics typically work for a while, but how has Mattel sustained true <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/46/2/330/5253362?login=false">brand longevity</a> for this long? There are many strategies designed to <a href="https://www.academia.edu/35653109/Managing_brands_for_the_long_run_Brand_reinforcement_and_revitalization_strategies">revitalise mature brands</a>. Mattel successfully extended Barbie’s brand to capture new audiences, drive growth and expand into new types of products beyond dolls.</p>
<p>This is a risky endeavour if the brand is stretched too far. But Barbie’s brand has been successfully extended into other profitable categories such as clothes, accessories, cosmetics and entertainment (music, movies and games). And now, after several computer-animated, direct-to-video and streaming television films, Barbie’s first big budget, live action movie will be released in cinemas in July 2023.</p>
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<p>Early reports suggest the movie – helmed by Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017) – is <a href="https://www.radiox.co.uk/news/tv-film/barbie-release-date-trailer-cast-age-rating-reviews/">likely to be rated PG-13</a>. This is not the “universal” rating you might expect for a film about a popular toy. It hints at another strand of Mattel’s successful Barbie branding strategy: nostalgia.</p>
<h2>Life in plastic, it’s fantastic</h2>
<p>Alongside ongoing efforts to appeal to young girls, Mattel also deliberately <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003282303-15/creating-collecting-curating-emily-aguil%C3%B3-p%C3%A9rez">targets older consumers</a>. Specific objects – not just toys but clothes, food such as sweets, or even items like vinyl records – can give a physical form to a set of attitudes, relationships and circumstances for people. This evokes a powerful <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/12098/volumes/sv06/SV%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%2006/full">sense of the past</a>. </p>
<p>This kind of nostalgia <a href="https://www.academia.edu/33508268/SPOKES_CHARACTERS_Creating_Character_Trust_and_Positive_Brand_Attitudes">generates trust</a> and positive attitudes towards a brand, influencing consumer preferences when it comes to choosing between toys. </p>
<p>In addition to the upcoming film, Mattel has attempted to capitalise on the nostalgia Barbie evokes in other ways. It sells more sophisticated designer and limited edition lines of <a href="https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/collectible-barbie-dolls-changes-773817">collectible dolls</a> aimed at adult fans, for example. These items are typically sold in speciality or boutique stores, and carry higher price tags than the average doll.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="New York City, New York/ USA - February 16, 2019: Toy Fair New York Barbie signage at the Jacob Javits Center" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=776%2C356%2C3919%2C2436&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Barbie banner at the 2019 New York Toy Fair.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-usa-february-16-1326790883">Sean P. Aune/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Criticism of Barbie</h2>
<p>As Barbie’s brand has expanded and evolved, the doll has also encountered criticism. Over the years, Barbie went through <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13504639851780">many transformations</a> to look more confident, and was marketed as having many life options, particularly when it comes to work. There are now Barbie dolls representing more than 200 careers – from astronaut, surgeon, paratrooper, game developer, architect and entrepreneur to film director and even US president.</p>
<p>But critics have argued that these career dolls are a “<a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/06/18/meet_entrepreneur_barbie_mattels_misfire_attempt_at_inspiring_girls/">misfire attempt at inspiring girls</a>”. This negative perception of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mar.21477">brand’s moral vision</a> is linked to the notion that Barbie is rooted in an ideal of femininity that still characterises women by their <a href="https://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/">physical appearance</a>.</p>
<p>Barbie has been accused of promoting unrealistic body standards, stereotyping and objectification of women, as well as having a negative influence on girls’ self-esteem and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7210496_Does_Barbie_Make_Girls_Want_to_Be_Thin_The_Effect_of_Experimental_Exposure_to_Images_of_Dolls_on_the_Body_Image_of_5-_to_8-Year-Old_Girls">body image</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Toy Fair New York, Mattel Barbie dolls on display, New York City, February 24, 2020." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mattel has attempted to address criticism of Barbie over the years, for example by giving consumers multiple career options to choose from.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-usa-february-24-1685825410">Sean P. Aune/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>So, faced with declining sales and competition from smaller brands offering dolls with more realistic body types (such as <a href="https://uk.lottie.com/">Lottie</a> and <a href="https://lammily.com/">Lammily</a>), Mattel launched “<a href="https://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/">Project Dawn</a>” in 2016. This included the launch of Fashionistas, a line of Barbie dolls with <a href="https://theconversation.com/drastic-plastic-a-look-at-barbies-new-bodies-53877">different body types</a> (curvy, petite and tall) and abilities, skin tones and eye colours, as well as hairstyles and outfits. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518302584">research suggested</a> that young girls aged between three and ten prefered the original tall and petite dolls. They were negative about “<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-curvy-new-barbie-is-good-news-for-your-little-girl-55008">curvy</a>” Barbie, and this doll also received intense <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350510598_The_Politics_of_Barbie%27s_Curvy_New_Body_Marketing_Mattel%27s_Fashionistas_Line">public scrutiny</a>.</p>
<p>In 2017, Mattel took another significant step by introducing ethnically and racially diverse dolls of different nationalities, including the first <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/business/barbie-hijab-ibtihaj-muhammad.html">hijab-wearing Barbie doll</a>. However, <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/differences/article-abstract/6/1/46/301186/Dyes-and-Dolls-Multicultural-Barbie-and-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext">this approach prompted criticism</a> that Mattel was treating race and ethnic differences as “collectible”, and commodifying culture. </p>
<p>Despite this, Barbie continues to be a toy that many children play with. The longevity and iconic status of the doll is a tribute to Mattel’s astute marketing and reinvention efforts. These have helped the brand remain relevant even now, 64 years after it was launched.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sameer Hosany does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A branding expert explains how this iconic but controversial doll has gone from teenage reject to movie star in 64 years.Sameer Hosany, Professor of Marketing, Royal Holloway University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1970122023-01-18T13:38:33Z2023-01-18T13:38:33ZKicking off the new year by cleansing your body with a detox diet? A dietitian unpacks the science behind these fads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503325/original/file-20230105-12-sxz5c4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7988%2C5329&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A healthy diet – with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains – is one key to a healthy body.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-woman-making-healthy-smoothie-for-breakfast-royalty-free-image/1237890164?phrase=juicing&adppopup=true">Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Detox diets are often touted as a way to cleanse the body after the excess food and drinks that come with the holidays. These diets promise quick results and can particularly entice people around the new year, when there tends to be a renewed focus on health and lifestyle habits. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know">a few different types of detox diets</a>: fasting, juice cleanses, eating only certain foods, using dietary commercial detox supplements or “cleansing” the colon with enemas or laxatives. </p>
<p>Most of these diets have a few things in common: They are short-term and aim to eliminate allegedly toxic substances from the body. Typically, these diets include a period of fasting followed by an extremely restrictive diet for a number of days. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-grasso-rdn-ld-mpp-d-214747a2/">As a registered dietitian</a>, I have seen clients attempt detox diets and experience a slew of negative side effects, including developing a negative relationship with food. </p>
<p>Research shows that there is little evidence to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12286">support the use of detox diets</a> and that they are not needed anyway. The body is well-equipped to eliminate unwanted substances on its own, without expensive and potentially harmful supplements sold by the nutrition and wellness industry. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Doing a cleanse doesn’t “clean your pipes” – and it may do harm.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>About toxins</h2>
<p>What are toxins – and how do they get into the body in the first place? </p>
<p>Internal toxins <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxin">include natural byproducts</a> created by the body during metabolism, such as lactic acid, urea and waste from the gut microbes. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/exposure-history/Organ-Systems-Are-Affected.html">External toxic exposures</a> enter the body through eating, drinking, breathing or penetration of the skin. These can come in the form of air pollutants, food or water contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals, household products such as laundry detergent and even beauty products like facial cleansers, body wash and makeup.</p>
<p>The body’s built-in detoxification system includes the liver and kidneys, with assistance from the lungs, lymphatic system, digestive tract and skin. Briefly, the liver breaks down harmful substances, which are then filtered out through the kidneys. The digestive tract also expels them through bowel movements. </p>
<p>But our bodies aren’t always functioning optimally. That’s why a proper diet and improved lifestyle behaviors, such as increased exercise and sleep, may have a significant – and positive – impact on the body’s detoxification system.</p>
<p>Having a diverse microbiome and an <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-gut-bacteria#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11">abundance of healthy gut bacteria</a> also helps to rid the body of harmful substances. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and cultured dairy products can benefit gut health. These foods contain <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-super-healthy-probiotic-foods">probiotics</a>, which are the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. </p>
<p>Another category, called <a href="https://www.eatingwell.com/article/2059033/best-and-worst-foods-to-eat-for-gut-health/">prebiotic foods</a>, are also beneficial for gut health. They provide nutrition and energy for the healthy probiotics in the gut and are high in fiber. Examples of prebiotic foods are whole grains and fruits and vegetables, particularly bananas, greens, onions and garlic. </p>
<h2>The potential harms of detox diets</h2>
<p>Through glossy and pervasive advertising, detox diets perpetuate <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know">a quick-fix mindset about weight and body image</a> rather than promote lifestyle changes that are sustainable for a lifetime. </p>
<p>Although proponents claim that detox diets and juice cleanses lead to weight loss, improved liver function and overall better health, research shows <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12286">they have little to no effect</a>. What’s more, they can <a href="https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/healthy-eating/weight-mgmt/detox-dilemma/">lead to side effects</a>, including headaches, fatigue, weakness, fainting and irritability. However, studies show there is some evidence that certain foods and spices, such as coriander, may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12286">enhance the body’s natural detoxification pathways</a>.</p>
<p>According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, other foods that may give the body’s own detox system a boost include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, berries, artichokes, garlic, onions, leeks and green tea. Eating adequate amounts of lean protein may also benefit the body’s natural system by <a href="https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/diet-trends/whats-the-deal-with-detox-diets#">maintaining adequate levels of glutathione</a>, the body’s master detoxification enzyme, or catalyst. Glutathione is an enzyme produced by the liver that is <a href="https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-717/glutathione">involved in numerous processes</a> within the body including building and repairing tissues, assisting in the natural detoxification process and improving immune system function.</p>
<p>A handful of clinical studies have shown increased liver detoxification with a commercial detox diet or supplements, but these studies have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12286">flawed methodologies and small sample sizes and are often done on animals</a>. In addition, supplements are <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/it-really-fda-approved#">not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> as food and drugs are. They can be put on the shelf without full evaluation of ingredients or proven efficacy, except in rare cases in which supplements are tested by a third party. </p>
<p>In fact, some commercial supplements have raised so many health and safety issues that the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know">have taken legal action against the companies that make them</a> to remove their products from the market. </p>
<p>Some detox diets and programs can have serious side effects, particularly those including laxatives or enemas, or those that restrict intake of solid foods. These approaches can lead to <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know">dehydration, nutrient deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, diets that severely restrict certain foods or food groups <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-017-0603-8">usually don’t lead to lasting weight loss</a>.</p>
<p>Instead, these types of diets often put the body into “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.184">starvation mode</a>.” That means that rather than burning calories, your body holds on to them to use as energy. </p>
<p>Doing that repeatedly over a long period can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.184">lead to a chronic decrease in metabolism</a>, which means that the number of calories you burn at rest may slowly decrease over time. This can make it more difficult to lose weight and balance blood sugar. It can also leave people more susceptible to chronic metabolic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bw43Ldk6tK0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">There’s very little evidence that detox diets remove harmful substances from your body.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A healthy lifestyle, without the detox diet</h2>
<p>Focusing on sustainable lifestyle shifts can make a huge difference – and unlike a detox diet, actually work. </p>
<p>Number one, <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/">eat a balanced diet</a>. Aim to eat mostly whole grains, lean protein choices, fruits and vegetables of many colors, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. This way, you’re getting a variety of nutrients, antioxidants and a good amount of fiber. </p>
<p>Number two, <a href="https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/water/how-much-water-do-you-need">hydrate</a>. For women, the <a href="https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/water/how-much-water-do-you-need">recommended daily water intake by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</a> is 11½ cups; for males, it’s 15½ cups. However, you get about 20% of that total from food, which leaves nine cups for women and 13 cups for men as the daily recommended water intake. This is comparable to 4½ 16-ounce water bottles for women and 6½ 16-ounce water bottles for men. </p>
<p>Lastly, move your body in a way that you enjoy. The more you enjoy being active, the more likely it will become a routine. Aim for at least 150 minutes, or 2½ hours of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm#:%7E">moderate-intensity physical activity every week</a>. </p>
<p>Focusing on these types of long-term, sustainable healthy habits is the key to weight loss and overall health and wellness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197012/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taylor Grasso consults for Simply Healthy, LLC and CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. </span></em></p>Detox diets and cleanses supposedly clear the body of allegedly toxic substances. But the evidence suggests otherwise.Taylor Grasso, Registered Dietitian, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1893482022-12-19T16:23:57Z2022-12-19T16:23:57ZGen Z beauty brands can use ‘friendly’ chatbots to boost body image as well as sales, research shows<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498308/original/file-20221130-14-yjbbq9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=96%2C88%2C5170%2C3294&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some members of gen Z spend hundreds of pounds every year on makeup.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/top-view-young-teenage-girl-recording-2109862970">Anastasiia Vyshnevska / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some members of “generation Z” – people <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/">born after 1996</a>, the oldest of whom are turning 26 in 2022 – spend hundreds of pounds per year on <a href="https://www.pipersandler.com/teens">beauty products</a>. In fact, gen Z members are often more willing to spend on beauty and skincare products <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/inb32lme5009/7wDIuSsLOnSxTUqPmRb081/603b8ffb77757549d39034884a23743c/The_Youth_of_the_Nations__Global_Trends_Among_Gen_Z.pdf">than previous generations</a>. </p>
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<p>But research also shows that <a href="https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/12465/dickman_christina.pdf;jsessionid=8B007CA9A5AC55D4F8861509D6B787C1?sequence=1">young women’s body image</a> is linked to cosmetics use. They often use beauty products to conceal perceived flaws or compensate for body parts they may not like. Members of gen Z are particularly plagued by <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/gen-z-least-confident-generation">negative perceptions of body image</a> and low self-esteem. This has been linked to <a href="https://wp.nyu.edu/dispatch/2019/04/09/marketing-to-gen-z-amid-social-media-panic/">the high use of social media</a> among this age group. </p>
<p>So, cosmetics companies that are trying to sell to this age group – as most of them are – should be mindful of these self-esteem issues, particularly where makeup purchases are involved. Research I conducted with colleagues shows they can incorporate this awareness into the technology tools they offer shoppers – in particular, the new breed of “beauty chatbots” – in order to help boost body confidence while also making sales.</p>
<h2>Beauty tech</h2>
<p>Cosmetics brands often use <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21699">cutting-edge technology</a> to sell their wares. Companies such as <a href="https://graziamagazine.com/me/articles/mac-cosmetics-launches-augmented-reality-makeovers/">Mac</a>, <a href="https://www.retaildive.com/ex/mobilecommercedaily/sephora-tries-on-augmented-reality-update-for-real-time-facial-recognition">Sephora</a> and <a href="https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2022/07/12/L-Oreal-patents-makeup-artist-virtual-makeup-app-for-Augmented-Reality-images-and-video-streaming#:%7E:text=International%20beauty%20major%20L'Or%C3%A9al,services%20and%20image%20sharing%20platforms.">L’Oréal</a> all use tech including artificial intelligence, augmented reality and data analytics to help customers discover and choose new makeup these days. </p>
<p>In particular, augmented reality has been used to develop <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563220302983">virtual try-on tools</a> that help online shoppers test makeup online to see how it looks, based on things like skin type and hair colour, before buying. Research shows this experience supports people’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296318305228">existing perception of their body image</a>, whether those perceptions are positive or negative.</p>
<p>Alongside such tools, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-chatgpt-chatbot-is-blowing-people-away-with-its-writing-skills-an-expert-explains-why-its-so-impressive-195908">chatbots</a> are often used by makeup brands to support online shopping. As an AI-powered online sales assistant, a chatbot can communicate with shoppers via a small box on-screen, into which a person can type questions or answers while they’re browsing a website. This allows makeup buyers to interact with brands through <a href="https://chatbotsmagazine.com/how-chatbot-helps-businesses-improve-customer-service-121530ebe60f">online conversations</a>.</p>
<p>Around 80% of <a href="https://www.servicebell.com/post/chatbot-statistics#:%7E:text=How%20many%20companies%20are%20using,rely%20on%20a%20small%20number.">companies worldwide use chatbots</a>, and they can also be a way to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563220302983">collect data</a> about site users.</p>
<p>Two of the benefits of using chatbots are the ability to personalise interactions with customers – such as when they are using virtual try-on tools – and to automatically <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563220302983">offer relevant products and services</a>. Of course, any salesperson knows the power of personality when it comes to enticing shoppers to buy, but can chatbots charm in the same way? </p>
<h2>Friendship goals</h2>
<p>Our research analysed how <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21715">experiences of using various cutting-edge technologies</a> when shopping for beauty products affect body image, self-esteem and purchase behaviour among younger females. Our data was collected from three studies, a survey and two experiments involving 1,568 gen Z women. </p>
<p>While these tools are designed to provide a better customer experience, our research shows there are benefits to programming chatbots to be “friendlier”.</p>
<p>The majority of cosmetics brands currently offer chatbots with two types of personality: friend or assistant. Assistant types offer intelligent, factual and organised support and information in response to customer enquiries. But chatbots that also have friend‐like characteristics – such as being sassy, perky and humorous – encourage stronger feelings of warmth.</p>
<p>We found that, for women in this age group, receiving support from a chatbot in the form of a “virtual friend” can have a more positive effect on their body image and self-esteem. The type of communication used by these chatbots was characterised by our respondents as being helpful, nice and friendly. The findings also show that that chatbots with these characteristics positively affected participants’ self-esteem and buying behaviour when using beauty brands’ virtual applications. </p>
<h2>Sales boost</h2>
<p>As well as improving gen Z women’s interactions with virtual makeup try-on applications, friendlier chatbots can encourage people to buy more as well. We found that purchase behaviour was stronger when the gen Z women in our study had conversations with chatbots that they categorised as being helpful, nice and friendly. </p>
<p>But beauty brands that offer chatbot services can create benefits beyond increasing sales and improving customer relationships. They can also boost shoppers’ body image – an important benefit for gen Z beauty-lovers.</p>
<p>Brands should keep this in mind when choosing the style of language used by their chatbots. Using a more personalised, conversational style when interacting with young female customers will not just increase sales, it could also boost their body confidence.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189348/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nisreen Ameen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Boosting body confidence should be as important as boosting sales to beauty brands.Nisreen Ameen, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, Royal Holloway University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1951492022-11-28T06:52:24Z2022-11-28T06:52:24ZThe Wonder: Netflix’s story of 19th century ‘fasting girls’ reminds us starving bodies remain a public spectacle today<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496793/original/file-20221122-12-tnkozx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C3583%2C2398&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Florence Pugh stars in The Wonder.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81426931/assets/eyJpZCI6InAzcHR6Y2N5ZCIsIm5hbWUiOiJXT05ERVJfVW5pdF8wNjE4MVJDLmpwZyJ9">Christopher Barr/Netflix</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In October, US tabloid <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/11/02/heroin-chic-is-back-and-curvy-bodies-big-butts-are-out/">the New York Post reported</a> somewhat gleefully that the early 2000s trend for “heroin chic” is back. After a brief period of limited body diversity, it reported, runways were once again full of extremely young, wraith-like white women.</p>
<p>Visible bones, once <a href="https://jezebel.com/karlie-kloss-loses-her-ribs-to-numeros-photoshopping-5947061">photoshopped away</a> to avoid public outcry, are once again the order of the day. While the reports framing the last few years as a “<a href="https://headtopics.com/au/heroin-chic-is-back-has-the-inclusion-backlash-begun-31773697">brief, shining moment of body positivity</a>” are <a href="https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/fpq/article/view/10836">exaggerated</a>, the shift towards a more extreme bodily ideal is concerning, with <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a41981560/heroin-chic-diet-culture/">media commentators</a> and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203876442-9/theorising-self-starvation-beyond-risk-governmentality-normalizing-gaze-liz-eckermann?context=ubxn-chic-damaging">eating disorder specialists</a> raising concerns about <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gvtEEuGgXnUC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=maggie+wykes+body+image&ots=cq8QAaXITm&sig=EAP--MKi4sL7Q42uT1cs6RojgLg#v=onepage&q=maggie%20wykes%20body%20image&f=falseheroin-chic-back-apparently---give-us-break/">its effect</a> on viewers’ mental and physical health.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Kim Kardashian on the red steps of the Met Gala, wearing Marilyn Monroe's nude bejewelled Mr President dress. Her hair is slicked back in a bleach blonde bun." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496794/original/file-20221122-18-bp8tv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kim Kardashian caused controversy recently, when she revealed she’d lost 16 pounds in order to fit into a dress once belonging to Marilyn Monroe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://epaimages.com/search.pp?flush=1&multikeyword=Kim%20kardashian&startdate=&enddate=&metadatafield44=0&autocomplete_City=&metadatafield5=">Justin Lane</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For some time now, media academics and commentators, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1357034X12440830?casa_token=Rd6qvnGOBjsAAAAA%3A5sPd_0M39UcotkhZPRuhJRzxulQZ6IywDlzbiWEHuUkdU1GO-YQIiMc5r_xoqo9-ZWR_szqAd64">such as myself</a>, have noted <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/05/opinions/london-transport-body-image-bordo/index.html">western media cultures’ hunger</a> for stories of self-denial in pursuit of bodily perfection. As film critic S.R. Benedict argues in her viral 2019 essay <a href="https://bloodknife.com/everyone-beautiful-no-one-horny/">Everyone is Beautiful and No-one is Horny</a>, celebrity narratives have tended to focus on tales of discipline, self-control and denial.</p>
<p>Celebrities like <a href="https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/kim-kardashian-weight-loss-photos-transformation-pictures/">Kim Kardashian</a>, once noted for their “bootylicious” curves, have showcased dramatic weight loss. Fasting and “clean eating” are the social media trends of the moment, along with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/nov/09/i-miss-eating-weight-loss-drug-ozempic-food-repulsive">Ozempic</a>, an injectable diabetes drug that causes dramatic weight loss at the cost of distressing and potentially dangerous side effects.</p>
<h2>The Wonder and our fascination with disordered eating</h2>
<p>This morbid fascination with the suffering of the young and beautiful is not new. Sebastian Lelio’s Netflix film, The Wonder, based on the novel by Irish writer Emma Donoghue, is inspired by the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07409710.1989.9961961?journalCode=gfof20">“fasting girls” of the 19th century</a>, young women whose “miraculous” starvation attracted much attention from an emerging mass media.</p>
<p>These cases have been seen as <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1988-97435-000">early instances of disordered eating</a>. But Donohue’s novel suggests that the 19th century, with its emerging mass media and its repressive attitude to women’s bodies, can be reimagined to shed light on our own time.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Both actresses are pictured in profile, in low candle light. Florence Pugh reaches out to take Lila Lord Cassidy's pulse." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496795/original/file-20221122-20-lqh2ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Florence Pugh as Lib Wright and Kíla Lord Cassidy as Anna O’Donnell in The Wonder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81426931/assets/eyJpZCI6ImZrd3RlY2xlNyIsIm5hbWUiOiJXT05ERVJfVW5pdF8wNTgzMFJDLmpwZyJ9">Aidan Monaghan/Netflix</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a controversial opening scene, the camera pans over a warehouse interior to a film set, while an Irish-accented woman’s voice tells us that what we are about to see is a story, but that we should empathise with the characters nonetheless. </p>
<p>Throughout the film, we are reminded of <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-48568-7">the importance of the stories we tell</a>, how they shape our lives, determining what is possible and imaginable. The Wonder chimes with <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Thin-Woman-Feminism-Post-structuralism-and-the-Social-Psychology-of/Malson/p/book/9780415163330">feminist media research</a> that asks us to think about the ethics of the <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315551463/weight-images-katariina-kyr%25C3%25B6l%25C3%25A4">stories we tell about body weight, shape and eating</a>, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09502389600490251">the way we consume these stories</a>.</p>
<h2>Making the invisible, visible</h2>
<p>In the main narrative, an English nurse – Lib Wright, in a typically incandescent performance by Florence Pugh – arrives in a remote Irish village which seems to conform to all the stereotypes of English representations of Ireland. It’s dirt poor, priest-ridden, with a bleak green-grey landscape and low, dim interiors echoing the image of a “backwards village”.</p>
<p>In this unlikely setting, a miracle has apparently occurred. A young girl, Anna O’Donnell, has lived without food for four months, apparently subsisting entirely on the power of prayer (or “manna from heaven”).</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="In a dark candlelit room, Florence Pugh (in a blue dress and white apron) puts her hand on a nun's arm." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496798/original/file-20221122-26-2250hx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Florence Pugh as Lib Wright, Josie Walker as Sister Michael in The Wonder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81426931/assets/eyJpZCI6InAzeTNjZDhxeWQiLCJuYW1lIjoiV09OREVSX1VuaXRfMDUwMDNSQy5qcGcifQ==">Aidan Monaghan/Netflix</a></span>
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<p>The girl and her mother appear locked in a spiral of mutual deception. If the girl is revealed to be a fraud, they will lose everything. Lib, recently returned from the Crimea with trauma of her own, has been summoned to keep watch on the girl and report any foul play. She is there “only to watch”. </p>
<p>But Lib, too, is disregarded and sidelined. Her well-meaning attempts to “save” Anna, including by force feeding, are met with frustration as she realises that she, too, is powerless and will need to work against the establishment if she wants to make a difference.</p>
<p>This is a world where local people’s struggles are invisible, except for Anna, whose extreme behaviour has made her an object of both veneration and horror. The village is thronged with “sightseers and gawkers”. There are articles in the Irish and British national press, the former awed, the latter satirical.</p>
<p>Anna is subject to medical surveillance by a nun, Sister Michael, and by Doctor O’Brearty who imagines becoming famous for discovering the secret to eternal life. At one point he suggests that her body is converting sunlight into nutrients “like a plant”, an idea that seems absurd until we remember that <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494211055735">celebrity diet guru</a> Gwyneth Paltrow has promoted something called <a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/gwyneth-paltrow-goop-health-summit">“integrative photosynthesis</a>” as part of an extreme <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1367549420921868">“cleansing” diet</a>.</p>
<h2>The power of our stares</h2>
<p>The film’s setting may be historical, but its overarching theme – of a world where <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1367877909348540?casa_token=Z5_s0tvUyrMAAAAA:M6hu5W4AiCI5lagwXm3bepTLxs_U2idU062zwDC-xqDSqJbndqq1KvzQ4MJEqkpz2Y6faG9d22I">food and bodily pleasure are seen as polluting</a>, even as millions starve – is not.</p>
<p>Anna is an object of fascination because she appears to survive, even to thrive, in a world defined by hierarchy and deprivation. Denied a voice, she must tell a story using the only medium available to her: her body.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Tom Burke carries Kíla Lord Cassidy in his arms across a rugged landscape, while Florence Pugh in blue dress runs off ahead." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496799/original/file-20221122-22-c7ty2y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kíla Lord Cassidy as Anna O’Donnell, Tom Burke as Will Byrne, Florence Pugh as Lib Wright in The Wonder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81426931/assets/eyJpZCI6ImZrd3Y0ZDhxeWQiLCJuYW1lIjoiV09OREVSX1VuaXRfMTI1NzdSQy5qcGcifQ==">Aidan Monaghan/Netflix</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315594460/media-rhetoric-body-perfection-deborah-harris-moore">Feminist scholars</a> <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1367549417705604?casa_token=3GBKbSM4n9oAAAAA%3AAXvEH-2hkzxsiCAp7Ectr2FWOKSTDHBJwes-j_axUqIbv9xiEF9Y8wFghqfudI_92CfJoNNMQMU">have shown</a> that the desire to “gawk” at starving bodies reflects the tensions and anxieties at stake in capitalism and patriarchy. By attracting attention to the fascinating spectacle of her self-denial, Anna forces the spectator to confront the reality of exploitation and abuse that has been erased from the public narrative.</p>
<p>It is a limited strategy, and one which almost kills her. By proposing a different ending to Anna’s story, the film asks: what does our fixation with suffering tell us about the things we repress, the stories we don’t want to hear?</p>
<p>Instead of comparing ourselves to a “barbaric”, “backward” past, The Wonder asks us to reflect on the fasting girls of our own time, and what they might tell us about our need to fetishise some forms of suffering, while silencing others.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Debra Ferreday does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the trend for “heroin chic” returns to runways, new Netflix film The Wonder takes aim at our fascination with disordered eating.Debra Ferreday, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1917992022-10-06T11:26:55Z2022-10-06T11:26:55ZBody neutrality: what it is and how it can help lead to more positive body image<p>Constantly “loving your body” – no matter what – can feel impossible at the best of times. Not to mention that if you fail, it often leaves you feeling <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-body-positivity-movement-risks-turning-toxic-189913">even worse about yourself</a>.</p>
<hr>
<iframe id="noa-web-audio-player" style="border: none" src="https://embed-player.newsoveraudio.com/v4?key=x84olp&id=https://theconversation.com/body-neutrality-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help-lead-to-more-positive-body-image-191799" &bgcolor="F5F5F5&color=D8352A&playColor=D8352A" width="100%" height="110px"></iframe>
<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>It’s no wonder then that some people are beginning to reject this idea of body positivity altogether, advocating instead for a new mode of thinking, known as “body neutrality”. Some of the movement’s biggest advocates include Taylor Swift and actress Jameela Jamil.</p>
<p>Body neutrality is sometimes pitched as a “<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/forget-body-positivity-how-about-body-neutrality.html">middle ground</a>” between the polarising messages of loving or hating your body. It’s aimed at people who have become disillusioned with the body positivity movement, and those who find constantly loving your body too difficult. </p>
<p>There are also concerns that a body-neutrality approach could ultimately have a negative effect on body image. However, research shows how many of its ideas can improve your wellbeing if applied in the right way.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-body-positivity-movement-risks-turning-toxic-189913?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Why the body positivity movement risks turning toxic</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/stroke-young-people-can-have-them-too-heres-how-to-know-if-youre-at-risk-and-what-to-look-out-for-189272?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Stroke: young people can have them too – here’s how to know if you’re at risk and what to look out for</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/young-people-may-be-more-likely-to-believe-in-conspiracy-theories-that-deny-covid-facts-heres-how-to-respond-188318?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Young people may be more likely to believe in conspiracy theories that deny COVID facts – here’s how to respond</a></em></p>
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<p>The term “body neutrality” first emerged around 2015. However, it gained popularity in 2016 when counsellor <a href="https://columbuspark.com/2017/03/14/body-neutrality-a-new-way-to-relate-to-our-bodies/">Anne Poirier</a> began leading workshops that aimed to help participants understand that loving their bodies isn’t always a realistic goal. </p>
<p>According to Poirier, these sessions were borne out of an understanding that, for some people, “it’s kind of a long jump to move to <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/forget-body-positivity-how-about-body-neutrality.html">body positivity</a> from dissatisfaction”.</p>
<p>But body neutrality is more than just a middle ground between loving and hating yourself. And what it looks in practice will differ depending on each person. </p>
<p>For some, the aim of body neutrality is to change the way they think about their body – or rather, to spend less time thinking about it in general. This way of thinking draws on notions of <a href="https://www.mindful.org/everyday-mindfulness-with-jon-kabat-zinn/">mindfulness</a>, encouraging people to “<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-body-neutrality_n_5b61d8f9e4b0de86f49d31b4">just be</a>”. </p>
<p>Basically, the aim is to exist within your body without judgement or holding strong opinions about how you look. The movement encourages us step back from conversations about our bodies and appearance, which in turn frees us to do the things we enjoy.</p>
<p>In this sense, body neutrality is about acceptance. The movement acknowledges that we may not love our bodies every single minute of every day, but emphasises that there’s nothing wrong with that. Instead, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/23/the-rise-of-the-body-neutrality-movement-if-youre-fat-you-dont-have-to-hate-yourself">proponents of body neutrality</a> encourage us to accept our bodies as they are, and to not punish ourselves even if we aren’t what society deems as “perfect”. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of young people performing the same pose during a yoga class." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488034/original/file-20221004-18-803qwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Body neutrality places an emphasis on what your body is capable of, not what it looks like.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-adults-having-yoga-class-sport-629669570">BearFotos/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Others in the body neutrality movement want to change the value placed on beauty and appearance in society. Instead of focusing on what our bodies looks like and only valuing ourselves for our appearance, body neutrality encourages us to focus instead on <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/body-neutrality#examples">what we do</a> with our bodies. </p>
<p>In this sense, body neutrality places an emphasis on appreciating your health and what your body is capable of doing, not on merely valuing your body because of how you look. </p>
<h2>Positive body image</h2>
<p>Given the buzz around body neutrality, it might come as surprise to learn that there’s been very little research on the benefits of body neutrality. But <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1359105320912450?casa_token=mlOouEng1kwAAAAA:gLeBZtIh-q5HP83BQxoHvYxrsnWfXVZYt8kPHXAAC0LlGL_0NNxH8WBxewAEBBnTfZDg7jDrbTc">some researchers</a> are concerned that, in practice, body neutrality may even result in more negative body image – especially if people end up merely “tolerating” their bodies.</p>
<p>However, body neutrality shares may similar tenets with what researchers have called “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144515000388?casa_token=QDfpOVu8BoQAAAAA:9ILZ7D_LJyct39mi_jqoHrN0LXZ32v8bm3F6io5bIZ8I7TPfPhjcaYb8EG-cG1MIFQEE5g46">positive body image</a>”. Positive body image <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144520300474?casa_token=bwLEStV4oEIAAAAA:D1x1V28BrSbZbIbRorGPNjrN-M-7fYi0AWGKxCXOBbpsOSQMI2EismS9V-pBAilz3-jiLgGo">generally involves</a> caring for your body, being comfortable in it and accepting any perceived imperfections of unique physical features. It also places an emphasis on appreciating the body for what it’s capable of doing – rather than what it looks like. </p>
<p>While this way of thinking is very similar to body neutrality, the two aren’t entirely the same. One way of thinking about this is that body neutrality is a sort of stop on the path towards positive body image. While both emphasise an appreciation of what our bodies do for us (rather than what they look like), positive body image involves a more active care, appreciation and respect for our bodies. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144522001188?casa_token=gbxt_UZpGFcAAAAA:ki6GXDL4cSxcP2BCnIFAxhUgxIZZVGjjwo2vihkpx2S2FL1bFLXh_GcH1JHhXuSqHWbWpxAg">wealth of evidence</a> shows that positive body image is associated with a range of benefits. For instance, people who appreciate their bodies are more likely to adopt healthy <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-0167.53.4.486">eating habits</a> and engage in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/hsw/article-abstract/47/2/113/6545786?login=false">health-promoting behaviours</a>, such as seeking preventive cancer care. </p>
<p>Positive body image is also associated with better <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224545.2017.1392278">psychological wellbeing</a>, including fewer symptoms of depression, greater self-esteem, greater self-compassion, and higher life satisfaction.</p>
<p>Whether you choose to aim for body neutrality or positive body image is ultimately up to you, and will probably depend a lot on your life experiences and current feelings about your body. There are a number of resources, both online and in print, that can help you get started with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/body-neutrality">body neutrality</a> or <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/positive-body-image-workbook/F926BED68CB0856D2A5536F7B13936BB">positive body image</a>. </p>
<p>There are also many activities you can do that may help you develop greater appreciation for your body. Known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144520303673">embodying activities</a>, these help promote a sense of living in or inhabiting our bodies.</p>
<p>They include feeling a connection and comfort with the body, caring for our physical selves and resisting thinking about our bodies as objects. Some examples of embodying activites include <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10465-012-9129-7">dance</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144518301177?casa_token=NORk5RdEVJMAAAAA:SDk9uuAx4KYi_D3BGzMfT4EUV-fEWM5m2NVhYHNNBh_BCJepTFH0qG2LdN9UdhOAvizdZBMr">yoga</a>, participating in different types of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144518303097?casa_token=TZGsMBmiNy4AAAAA:IBw6pRH0J-yO6bcs0V_EMA-cWbtCXKoPM6kWjedOLopU1TNU7jxLxzR7CDY890VNvi3kc-7l">sport</a> and even just going for a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144521001479?casa_token=Ntt5pHYIELAAAAAA:53MHRH5gnWQ6HNOTlxttZHpjhDA6QuR2O4D4QUZ9d8w-GxKvgVOaTlXGo2aqYnrq29Pc65Jl">walk in nature</a>. </p>
<p>Embodying activities are thought to lead to “embodiment” – or mind-body integration – characterised by a feeling of being within and “at one” with the body. </p>
<p>Research shows that participating in embodying activities can promote healthier body image. For instance, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144515301236?casa_token=EGqKBlGmtDMAAAAA:mAnl2p9Pgw4hL6uQVMEQq9TQsjCehENY9FZjYOYP1wGq_H3iMuDbH8ZhOttzROtH9s4ERqe3">one study</a> found that, compared to non-yoga participants, yoga practitioners had more positive body image and were less likely to objectify their own bodies. </p>
<p>Leaving behind certain ways of thinking about our bodies can be difficult, especially when we’re constantly reminded that our appearance matters above all else. Changing your mindset will take time, and it’s normal to stumble along the way. But if you’re someone who’s found that body positivity hasn’t been helpful in changing the way you think about yourself, it may be worth trying out a new mode of thinking.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191799/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Viren Swami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Body neutrality’ has sometimes been called the ‘middle ground’ between loving or hating your body.Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1899132022-09-14T15:03:40Z2022-09-14T15:03:40ZWhy the body positivity movement risks turning toxic<p>You define beauty yourself. You are more than a number on a scale. Love yourself the way you are. Body positive messages like these seem to be everywhere from social media to TV ads. But while some find the body positivity movement to be uplifting and helpful, others have begun calling the movement “toxic” and suggesting it may be time to move on from this way of thinking.</p>
<p>Body positivity has its roots in radical <a href="https://naafa.org/history">fat activism</a> that began in the late 1960s. Alongside activism among <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2020.1736118">ethnic minority</a> women, these groups protested against structural biases and discrimination, especially from the fashion and beauty industries that profited from making people and communities feel inadequate.</p>
<p>Over time, this evolved into the body positivity movement as we know it today. Initially, the movement was driven by popular social media accounts that challenged narrowly defined societal standards of appearance. </p>
<p>But some say the movement shifted away from its radical roots when it went mainstream. This was largely thanks to corporate brand campaigns, such as Dove’s <a href="https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/campaigns.html">Real Beauty</a> campaign and promises by fashion magazines to show a <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/a8696839/vogue-march-2017-cover-controversy/">more diverse array of bodies</a>. </p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
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<p>Body positivity’s aim to promote acceptance and appreciation of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144518304595?via=ihub">diversity of body types</a> and sizes may explain why it has such a broad appeal. And indeed, there’s evidence that such messaging can have a positive impact. Studies show that women exposed to social media accounts and content about body positivity have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444819826530">better mood</a>, as well as greater <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144520303971?casa_token=yzV4H8H4uj4AAAAA:stCYD-_FqhlLe_R2jw0gje1oZziOCxnJO0lNaVaA8C9XcZ2sYsOHqI9EEyawU-azDgPUQWTl">body satisfaction and emotional wellbeing</a>. </p>
<h2>Turning toxic</h2>
<p>But despite the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1359105320912450?casa_token=yBo7hPOkF5MAAAAA%253Ak5RFeHN_yKzpZ-GsMVGKPqUsSEZ9a3tiTxqX60S02GMhzyA8yGeO0dMcaJCW9M7JC4TYILj8SP8">positive effect</a> body positivity can have, more recently some have voiced concerns. They are worried the movement itself is exclusionary and that it may actually do more harm than good. For example, the singer Lizzo says that the movement has been “<a href="https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/lizzo-body-positivity-co-opted-130000555.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAcwS-qw7L-oHEua2kD8md8LOP0NsnQCBaGWXBDC7j2mF5jVK9RpWY8aioSh_PJbDHz1fbRh-0Wv5lZdU46REjOt5l0ZPFiVt3mZ5RKmwtLg6_n3WuWPrpTO3hrRgmXJdJQdCL8RzPLPuggdJSE6RBQFsbFmM-W3ynmP1F4dS2JV">co-opted by all bodies</a>” and has become about celebrating “medium and small girls and people who occasionally get rolls”. </p>
<p>Others feel that the movement continues to exclude marginalised bodies, with the most influential body positive accounts and posts typically depicting conventionally attractive white women. One analysis of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144519303894?casa_token=oM9N8P6N7HkAAAAA:p1d0Nkzf0QlSc1e7ikBgmjWZ_MGXIhW8lLmDSZNXAksiz9Ga-vFKrf4b-8mA12tOXe-ua4FF#bib0060">almost 250 body positivity posts</a> on Instagram found that 67% of the posts featured white women, with men and ethnic minority women seriously under-represented. </p>
<p>Others have said that the emphasis on loving your looks actually reinforces society’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174014451630314X?via%253Dihub">preoccupation with appearance</a> over other attributes. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-04177-003">One study</a> found that when women watched a lifestyle television programme aimed at promoting body positivity, they experienced similar increases in anxiety about their body and dissatisfaction compared to women who watched a programme about fashion models.</p>
<p>Such body positivity content may have a <a href="https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/1367/1497">negative impact</a> on viewers because it does little to challenge the underlying idea that people are valued primarily for their appearance. Despite its positive spin, the movement still encourages people to work on their body and engage in beauty practices. And if you fail to be body positive, it’s you that’s at fault.</p>
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<img alt="A group of female models wearing shapewear pose holding signs with body positive messages." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484290/original/file-20220913-24-fi7apx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Some feel body positive messaging can actually have the opposite effect of what’s intended.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/diverse-models-convey-idea-that-everyone-1892405317">Roman Chazov/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Likewise, some commentators find the involvement of corporations and the “performative activism” (doing something because of how it looks rather than what it achieves) of the movement to be problematic. In her influential article <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/6/5/17236212/body-positivity-scam-dove-campaign-ads">Body Positivity is a Scam</a>, writer Amanda Mull argued that in divorcing itself from its radical past, the movement ignores the structural reasons that lead to negative body image, such as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2010.01582.x?casa_token=0SJTr7NW83cAAAAA:xonkz-ZBjXzaU95hNAvYCwZSrpFaB82UYal5JiJpVkM88rp-IwIiGigjoazXY4KH9-C6AagS9I0">gendered inequalities</a> and <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Beauty-Politics/Craig/p/book/9780367246570">systems of oppression</a>. Instead, the messaging now shifts the focus onto individuals and their ability to feel happy in their body. </p>
<p>Some even feel the current movement pushes a form of “<a href="https://www.penguinbookshop.com/book/9780593418277">toxic positivity</a>”, the expectation that we should always be positive no matter what, and that we should silence negative emotions in ourselves and others. Much of the current movement’s messaging emphasises that people should show confidence and acceptance in their body. The end result is that those who fail to achieve body confidence end up feeling like they’ve failed themselves. </p>
<p>There’s some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144522000560?casa_token=0pkoxqBG-aUAAAAA:SWod0qsLYu-zFEsMc7CMApncX3DFoFy9DQN5DPT67epP8rGhAkjbeVV2V19Pk87cqJtrzRY2">recent evidence</a> to support this idea. One group of researchers exposed women to this kind of toxic body positivity using various images – such as ones that depicted the message, “You MUST accept your body or you will never be happy”. </p>
<p>Across a series of experiments, women exposed to such messages didn’t feel any better about their body image. Instead, their body image only improved when the participants understood that people close to them (such as friends or family) appreciated them for who they were – rather than what they looked like. </p>
<h2>Body neutrality</h2>
<p>Many are now <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jan/12/body-positivity-has-had-its-day-lets-find-peace-with-ourselves">moving away from the body positivity movement</a> and the pressures that come from it entirely, and instead are getting behind the body neutrality movement. Rather of focusing on physical appearance, <a href="https://www.byrdie.com/what-is-body-neutrality-5075038">body neutrality</a> is the idea that we can exist without having to think too much about our bodies one way or the other. </p>
<p>We are all more than just our bodies. We are complex beings with a range of emotions and feelings about our bodies. </p>
<p>And because body neutrality de-emphasises the focus on appearance, it allows us to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144517301948?casa_token=CI9qQCgNVN8AAAAA:B3CiAWNyi26HUwmLchAqiJTQeuJrW7jcq9h6Sut8DMsBetIqiP7SSdoT0-U5zNh7MavqeyRQ">better appreciate</a> all the things our bodies are able to do. Being grateful for being able to do the hobbies you love or appreciating your body for what it’s capable of doing are both examples of body neutrality. </p>
<p>In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that body neutrality can be beneficial to us. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144519301494?casa_token=N5oDPnpNVNMAAAAA:8x0Qf-WO0zXLTeBqubM5tZOngGT0BcODpV6icFmbxtDXOoMbqO0DuTLjW0P_DBkVs7btcuw6">Across cultures</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144520304277">demographic groups</a>, body neutrality is associated with more positive body image and mental wellbeing. And the good news is there are many ways you can develop body neutrality, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144515000911?via%253Dihub">writing-based therapies</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144520301224?via%253Dihub">yoga</a> and <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/eco.2019.0019">spending time in nature</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189913/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Viren Swami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Critics of body positivity say the movement is not as accepting of all bodies as it claims.Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.