✾◕ ‿ ◕✾Let´s Talk about YOU, ME&What we see when we look in the mirror

Hi guys!, I have some questions for you today!....What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do you think other people see when they look at you? How do your answers to those two questions make you feel? Those three questions, though simple, are the three most important questions for determining your BODY IMAGE!... and.. Why is it important to do that??.. Well... because we ALL have to absolutely LOVE the reflection of ourselves when we look in the mirror.

Having a bad Body Image could lead us into several eating disorders,  so we need to be conscious of what Body Image is and how is it important that we think positively about it!...

"Body image" is a phrase used to describe someone's perception of her looks, her perception of other people's opinions about her looks, and how she feels about those perceptions. Body image is not based on fact, but on self-esteem. It's a psychological perception, not a factual one. Consequently, body image changes often, depending on mood, environment, and other factors.

A distorted body image is one of the leading causes, if not the leading cause, of eating disorders among young women.

Most people have a fairly accurate and healthy body image. Most people are aware of their flaws, but not overly bothered by them. Most people are aware of the weight gain and loss of muscle tone that comes from a more sedentary lifestyle. And they're aware of the weight loss and muscle tone that comes from a more active lifestyle. They have a pretty accurate perception of how others view them, and are ok with it.

Unfortunately, however, some people have grossly inaccurate perceptions of how they look and how others think they look. Though a person may be healthy, she may see herself as being overweight and unappealing, and may believe that others feel the same way about her. Women are the ones who most often struggle with distorted body images, and it's often because they feel pressured to measure up to the "ideal" image that's portrayed in the media.

It is estimated that by the time a girl is 17 years old, she has been exposed to over 250,000 commercial media messages. Given the fact that most of these messages equate being ultra-thin with being beautiful and successful, it's easy to see how a young girl's body image can become distorted. Other studies have shown that 50% of the advertisements in teen girl magazines use beauty, or the promise of "ideal" beauty, to promote their products. Today's fashion model weighs 23% less than the average female. Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed just 8% less. So the "ideal" that's being peddled to women and young girls today is completely unrealistic and unhealthy. Some believe it's intentional. If the advertisers can get us perpetually trying to attain a goal that's unattainable, they've secured their market share.

The development of a distorted body image, though it can be manipulated and enhanced by the media, is initially developed in infancy. Body image is determined in part by our psychological boundaries, which begin to develop at a very early age, based on the type and amount of affection and physical touch we received or didn't receive. It's also based on whether that attention and physical touch were appropriate or not. So a girl who received little or no attention from her parents when she was growing up will likely have a distorted body image long before she reaches her teenage years. If the lack of attention is reinforced by schoolmates, teachers, and the media, the problem can be quickly compounded.

The distortion can also be reinforced during puberty, when a girl's body begins to develop and change. Early onset of puberty can be especially difficult. The development of hips and breasts could be misinterpreted as "getting fat". Or a girl who's developing early may not want to look different than her friends. Consequently, she may begin trying to "hide" under clothing that's too big, not wanting others see the changes that are taking place, and she may start using extreme measures to control her weight and try to maintain her pre-pubescent body type.

Though there is a fine line between perceived appearance, and reaction to perceived appearance, there is one, and it's important. If a girl feels she's gaining an unhealthy amount of weight, or feels she's already overweight, that doesn't necessarily mean that her reaction will be negative. She may simply choose to start watching what she eats, or start exercising. But even if a girl's perception of her physical appearance is accurate, she may still react negatively or have a distorted body image.

Not every woman is built to be a size four. A girl who's built to be a size 10 may still perceive herself as being overweight and unattractive because she's not a size four.

The biggest challenge with developing a healthy body image is that it's all internal. It ultimately has nothing to do with how someone actually looks, but only how she thinks she looks and how she thinks others react to her looks. Consequently, logic doesn't always work if you're trying to help someone develop a healthy body image. Instead, you need to reinforce accurate definitions of beauty; definitions that go beyond looks and place the importance and focus where it belongs, on who a person is inside.

We can't undo any damage that may have been done during childhood. And we can't single-handedly counteract the messages sent by our culture and the media. But we can be a voice of reason in the lives of young girls. We can help them see and understand reality and help them have healthy perceptions and a healthy appreciation for who they really are and what they have to offer by spreading the message!... but most importantly...  LOVING OURSELVES !

Angie