Negative Body Image Perception
Body image is a term used to describe the way people view their bodies (good, bad, fat, thin, attractive, unattractive etc) and how comfortable they feel in general about their physical appearance.
People with a positive body image feel happy about the way they look and are comfortable in their own skin. People with a negative body image are anxious about the way they look, feel uncomfortable in certain situations, and worry they do not 'fit in'.
Body Image and the Media
Although it is irrational to blame the media for someone's poor body image, it does place significant emphasis on looks and physical appearance. Television and magazines constantly bombard us with images of attractive, perfect looking people, and often send out the message that physical perfection is what we should all strive for if we want to be successful.
The pressure of trying to live up to unrealistic cultural expectations of physical perfection can encourage people to feel bad about their bodies, if they believe they do not 'measure up'.
Body Image and Self-Esteem
Although body image should not contribute to how good people feel about themselves, in reality it does. Most people are dissatisfied with the way they look to some degree, which has a negative impact on their self-esteem.
Self-esteem is the way a person feels about him or herself as a whole (self-worth), and rightly or wrongly, is often greatly affected by body image. A negative body image can lead to feelings of worthlessness and intense self-dislike, which can in turn trigger unhealthy eating behaviours and eating disorders if someone turns to desperate measures to make his or her life 'better'.
Distorted Body Image and Eating Disorders
When people become obsessed with the way they look, and constantly compare themselves to people whose bodies they perceive to be 'better', it can lead to a body image perception that is not only negative, but distorted. Someone with a distorted body image does not perceive his or her physical shape in the same way as other people perceive it.
This is frequently the case with people who suffer from eating disorders. For example, anorexic patients often do not perceive their body size accurately, most likely viewing themselves as grossly overweight when in reality they are underweight. No matter how hard they strive to have the perfect body weight or how much they starve themselves, they are never thin enough. Images of dangerously thin people often become their inspiration.
Body image negativity and distortion can spiral out of control.