Defining Body Image: The Statistics
Body image is a complex construct that is very personal to each individual. Understanding what body image means, how it manifests, and the factors that influence body image within our society allow us to build healthier, more accepting relationships with our body. A healthy body image can be a key source of prevention against the development of disordered eating and eating disorders.
By: Anna Capetola
What is body image?
How a person perceives their body when looking in a mirror
How a person feels about their body and in their body
It involves thoughts about weight, height, and shape, and includes beliefs, assumptions, memories, and generalizations about our bodies based on other influences (social pressure and environment, media, family, friends, etc.)
Typically, a person internalizes messages at a young age that can lead to either positive or negative body image
What is negative body image?
Distorted or inaccurate perceptions of one’s body (e.g. looking in the mirror and not seeing your body for how it really is)
Often referred to as body dissatisfaction
Induces feelings of shame, anxiety, and self-consciousness
Believing that your body is flawed or that there’s something wrong with your appearance
What is positive body image?
An accurate perception of one’s weight, shape, and height; seeing your body as it truly is
It is often referred to as body satisfaction, which speaks to feeling comfortable and confident in your body
It involves not judging your body and accepting it for what it is
Realizing your worth is not determined by your body shape or size
Having a healthy body image is an important part of eating disorder prevention
Body Image Statistics:
A study in 2011 revealed 40-60% of girls between the ages of 6-12 years old reported feeling worried about their weight (Smolak, 2011).
Almost 80% of teenage girls report fears of gaining weight and of being in a larger body (Kearney‐Cooke & Tieger, 2015).
In 2015, approximately 25% of male youth expressed an intense desire to be muscular and have a toned body (Calzo et al., 2015).
A person with negative body image is at a greater risk for developing an eating disorder (NEDA, 2015).
Negative body image is also associated with higher levels of depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, and fixations on losing weight (NEDA, 2015).
Research shows ¼ of our self-esteem is determined by how positive or negative our body image is (Cash, 1995).
According to Stice (2002), body dissatisfaction is one of the main contributors to the development of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Studies have shown that lesbian women generally experience less body dissatisfaction, however, research also indicates that compared to heterosexual peers, lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens may be at a higher risk of binge-eating and purging as early as 12 years old (NEDA, 2015).
Using social media for only 30 minutes a day has the potential to change the way a person perceives their body. To put this into perspective, children and teenagers spend somewhere between 6-9 hours per day using some form of media (NEDA, 2015).
The desire to achieve the “ideal” body shape shown on various media outlets has been proven to increase body dissatisfaction (Stice, 2002).
In 2010, 47% of elementary school girls reported wanting to lose weight after looking through magazine pictures (NEDA, 2015).
When experiencing body dissatisfaction or negative body image, about 9 out of 10 women will put their health at risk by not eating (NEDA, 2015).
Nearly 8 out of 10 women will choose not to attend important life-events if they don’t like how they look (NEDA, 2015).
Genetics play a large role in the make-up of our bodies. More specifically, 25%-70% of our body is determined by genes (Cash, 1995).
Racial, ethnic, social, and cultural factors impact variations in body dissatisfaction (Crago & Shisslak, 2003).
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center, we offer a variety of virtual programs, groups, and individual services personalized to meet each client’s needs. Our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues.
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This post was written by BALANCE Social Work Intern, Anna Capetola.
Anna is a second-year graduate student at New York University pursuing her Master’s in Social Work. She completed her undergraduate education at Quinnipiac University, majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology. She previously worked for Vibrant Emotional Health, formerly known as The Mental Health Association of NYC, where she conducted assessments, provided short-term counseling, and offered crisis intervention services to individuals who were struggling with an array of mental health and substance use concerns. Anna also has experience working with the Traumatic Brain Injury population, as well as individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is devoted to learning about the mind-body connection, health, and overall wellness. She is deeply passionate about eating disorder awareness and recovery. Anna believes everyone has the right to feel supported, accepted, understood, valued, and cared for.
References
Calzo, J. P., Masyn, K. E., Corliss, H. L., Scherer, E. A., Field, A. E., & Austin, S. B. (2015). Patterns of body image concerns and disordered weight- and shape-related behaviors in heterosexual and sexual minority adolescent males. Developmental psychology, 51(9), 1216–1225. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000027
Cash T.F. (1995) What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror? Bantam Books, New York.
Crago, M., & Shisslak, C. M. (2003) Ethnic differences in dieting, binge eating, and purging behaviors among American females: a review. The Journal of Treatment & Prevention 11(4):289-304.
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
NEDA. 2015. Get The Facts On Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders>
Smolak, L. (2011). Body image development in childhood. In T. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.), Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention (2nd ed.).New York: Guilford.
Stice E. Sociocultural Influences on Body Image and Eating Disturbance. In: Fairburn C, Brownell K, editors. Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook. 2. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 2002.