Body Positivity’s Impact on Mental Health
By: Caroline Zappas
With spring break right around the corner, it’s common for people, particularly women, to comment on how they “have to lose weight before hitting the beach” or how they “let themselves go during the winter holidays;” most of these comments indicate unhappy feelings with regards to one’s appearance. While these short and perhaps sporadic comments may seem harmless, they actually contribute to a much larger issue known as “negative self-talk,” a behavior with many detrimental consequences.
Body image is often defined as a degree of satisfaction with one’s own appearance; many people, especially young women, have a negative body image. A heartbreaking study published in the Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders indicated that around 50% of 13 year old American girls reported being unhappy with their body. This number grew to nearly 80% by the time the girls reached 17 years old (Kearney-Cooke & Tieger, 2015). The societal notion that one type of body is more desirable to have than another begins to affect people at very young ages, and, unfortunately, these effects linger on for many years afterwards.
Having a negative body image has many impacts on your health, including an increased chance of being diagnosed with an eating disorder as well as suffering from negative emotions such as depression and feelings of isolation more frequently than the average individual (Alizade et al, 2016). There is not a one-time, quick fix to reverting a negative body image, especially due to the systemic factors that play into developing one, however, there are a plethora of steps to take that can improve your body image – one of which is positive self-talk.
The statements listed in the beginning of this piece were examples of negative self-talk, but an example of positive self-talk is telling yourself you are grateful for what your body allows you to do. It is important to try to focus on other aspects of yourself, such as your intellect, morals, and skillset, rather than just appearance.
The following quote emphasizes the power in reframing what you think and say:
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
-Lao Tzu(King, 2020)
Making a conscious decision to think and say things that support body positivity will not only affect yourself but also influence those around you. It will help break down societal pressures around a woman’s “ideal” appearance and create welcoming and safe space for your peers. Choose to have conversations with friends around what you are looking forward to in the imminent warmer months rather than the stress of wanting to have a “perfect beach body.” Strive to refrain from making a snap judgment of someone after getting a glimpse of what they look like, because there is so much more beneath the surface. Repeat mantras to yourself that center around what you are proud to possess that don’t necessarily focus on your appearance. These small changes will make a positive impact on your life, and your health. Remember, there is so much more to you than your appearance!
To read more about body positivity, follow this link to our amazing writer Sophia Erickson’s piece on Ways to Build Better Body Confidence!
Reference List
Alizade L., Mohammadzadeh H. & Babai S. (2016). Relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and body image with eating disorder symptoms in secondary school students in the city of Urmia. International Academic Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 1, 32–42.
Kearney‐Cooke, A., & Tieger, D. (2015). Body image disturbance and the development of eating disorders. In L. Smolak & M. D. Levine (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders (pp. 283-296). West Sussex, UK: Wiley
King, L. (2020). Who said your character is your destiny? Medium. https://medium.com/mindset-matters/who-said-watch-your-thoughts-they-become-your-words-d645dff454b8