The Influence Of Body Image On Teenagers

Body image is something that is a constant struggle for many. It does not target a specific age group or gender. However, many people with body image issues are adolescents and younger adults. It also does not discriminate, meaning anyone’s life can be affected by body image issues. In fact, most of us already have or will have a body image encounter. A person’s body image can come from, what they see by watching a television show, what they see on social media, and from their peers. As a person ages body image issues become less significant; they have accepted who they are, and are not bothered by how they look to others.

They often have an intense fear of fat and gaining weight and often have distorted views of their own body image (Shapiro 2). Thus, they resort to severe food restriction, periods of fasting and even various purging methods for weight loss (Grilo 5). On the other hand, Bulimic patients often binge-eat and then looking for methods to get rid of the food due to guilt by various purging methods (i.e., self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics and excessive exercise) (Grilo 5). Although many say that the media causes eating disorders, studies have shown that the media is not the main cause of eating disorders. The media does have a part to play in causing the rise in eating disorders in today’s society. From an early age, we are exposed to the western culture of the “thin-ideal” and that looks matter (Shapiro 9). Images on modern television spend countless hours telling us to lose weight, be thin and beautiful. Often, television portrays the thin women as successful and powerful whereas the overweight characters are portrayed as “lazy” and the one with no friends (“The Media”). Furthermore, most images we see on the media are heavily edited and airbrushed

141).” Also, “body dissatisfaction is considered a risk factor for subsequent lower self-esteem, decreased psychological well-being, increased eating disorder symptomatology, dieting behaviors, obesity, and depression (Ricciardelli and Mccabe, 2001a; Smolak, 2004; Smolak and Levine, 2001) (Dohnt & Tiggemann, 2006, p.141. Although, media repeatedly presents images of an unrealistically thin ideal; they also provide information on ways to accomplish this ideal

The first factor I will mention about the FAT (Female Athlete Triad) is the notion of low energy availability. It is my opinion that this factor plays a major role in the other two factors. When the talk of low energy availability is brought up, it is mainly talking about nutrition. Though many cases of FAT have been recorded with a female with an eating disorder, not having an eating disorder doesn’t mean you don’t exhibit a chance to have FAT. There are three main eating disorders that would lower an athlete’s energy levels. The first one is Anorexia Nervosa. This disorder could be defined as an unwanting to eat food. For the most part, these people are obsessed on losing weight. So much so that they will starve themselves on the point of

Sufferers of bulimia exhibit recurrent episodes of binge-eating, recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviours, such as purging, fasting, and misusing purgatives or aperients, and excessive exercise. Onsets of binge-eating in bulimic sufferers typically begins during or after an episode of dieting. It is evident that severe and prolonged restriction of food can potentially lead to the development of severe eating disorders. Factors that influences dieters to binge-eating include temperamental, environmental, genetic, and physiological factors. Temperamental factors involve an individual’s mounting concerns that include weight gain/loss, low self-esteem, depression, social anxiety, distress, and overanxious disorders. Childhood abuse whether sexual of physical, and the notion of internalizing a thinner body ideal are all examples of environmental factors that increases the risks of bulimia. Thus, influencing dieters to exercise binge-eating. In addition, bulimia can be considered a heritable disorder, which means that familial transmission between parents to their children may be present. Also childhood obesity and early experiences of puberty can also increase the risks of bulimia. Therefore, all of these factors contribute to bulimia, and explains how dieting can lead to

Eating disorders are when people have abnormal eating habits. Anorexia is when someone eats small to little to none food because of a lack of appetite. Anorexia can really deteriorate your body and what your body needs to survive. The possible health risk from anorexia is your body not getting enough nutrients, anemia, heart problems and so much

Media is comprised of the many ways society communicates. Some examples of different types of mediums are television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. The increase of media access has had many positive impacts on the world today. However, in addition to the positive impacts caused by the media and the increase of media access, there have also been many negative impacts. For example, as media access has increased through the years, the public’s opinions of their bodies have become increasingly negative. When having a negative body image or high body dissatisfaction, one believes their body is inadequate. Because the media has recently been promoting an extremely specific body type only a few are able to obtain, an increasing number of people are viewing their own bodies as unsatisfactory. The two aspects of media causing the most damage to people’s body image are advertisements and social media. Adolescents from ages 13 to 18 are those affected the most due to the media’s messages. Although teenage girls are known to be the group damaged predominately by the media’s messages, recent research shows that teenage boys are also at risk of gaining a negative body image due to these messages.

Body dissatisfaction is described as “the experience of negative thoughts and esteem about one’s body.” (Dittmar 1) The problem with being unsatisfied with one’s body, “can be understood as one of the most consistent and significant precursors of negative self perception, negative emotional states and unhealthy body-related behaviours. (Dittmar 2) Within this generation, “The ultra slender ideal body image is typically reported as 15% below an average weight of women. (Spurr; Berry; Walker 18) Even girls as young as 5 years of age showed greater preference for a thinner figure.” In today’s society, “body image was important (Spurr; Berry; Walker 28), the adolescents were focused on the possible flaws of their personal body image and were candid about their experiences relating to the pressure to be thin and beautiful.” A problem within teenage girls is that they “firmly believe that females were not being truthful if they did not find a flaw in their appearance.” (Spurr; Berry; Walker 30) Being “exposed to thin media images may activate and highlight these particular gaps (between their ideal body and their actual bodily self) within an individual’s bodily self-concept, which causes negative affect and body dissatisfaction.” (Dittmar 6) After viewing images in a magazine or online of an underweight model, “college woman experiences decreased body

Does anyone actually know the struggles that “tweens” face in life? At that ages of 8-12 life can be pretty tough when trying to keep up with the new fashion trends, clicks, and social status. At this point in time they are developing and trying to figure out who they really are and that’s tough. Especially when they are expected to fit a certain image that social media gives off. But people don’t come to realize what that high expectation causes tweens do. The images on social media tend to give tweens the thought that they should look like that. Which can lead to many eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and obesity.

For others to understand the idea of body image, they must appreciate the idea of their body image. Everyone has become different, in body style and appearance, for multiple reasons, both society and genetics, but many people are not able to accept the fact. However, there are differences when people want to fix their body image. Positive changes, such as physical activity, dieting, and positive attitudes towards others can help raise society’s interpretation of physical appearance statuses. However, bad dieting and exercise, while putting others down can lower everyone’s feelings towards themselves and others. There are also many different dangerous ways in which people can negative hurt their bodies while trying to change their body image, but hard work and consistency allows for real results, such as losing

Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening conditions. They can negatively affect a person’s mental and physical health, relationships, and productivity. According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, thirty million people in the United States suffer from some form of an eating disorder and ninety-five percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages of twelve and twenty-five (ANAD, 2015). There are different types of eating disorders, but they all have the same underlying problem. They are all mental disorders, and it is clear that people that suffer from them do not know how to handle their emotions in a healthy way. This issue is only getting

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to suffer from a mental illness? Well I did, and therefore, I decided to research one mental illness in particular, Nervosa Bulimia. By researching this mental illness I am hoping to reduce the stigma associated with this mental illness, for myself and others. I would like to be apart of a society of educated individuals who are less likely to judge others. Since mental illness cannot be seen by the naked eye, it is imperative to educate ourselves. Bulimia is an illness in which a person binges on food or has regular episodes of overeating and feels a loss of control. The person then uses different ways such as vomiting or abusing laxatives to prevent weight gain. Many but not all people with bulimia also have anorexia nervosa.

The physical signs that can be seen or felt are dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time, skeletal look, sunken eyes, dry, yellow, or grey skin, thinning hair, hair growth on arms, legs and other body parts in effort to keep heat in, loss of body muscle and fat, dizziness and headaches, complaints of often feeling cold, fainting spells, inability to sleep, exhaustion, and their period stopping or never starting The psychological characteristics of anorexics may include an obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems, obsession with continuous exercise, visible food restriction and self-starvation, isolation and fear of eating around and with others, self- defeating statements after food consumption, low self-esteem, needing acceptance from others, perfectionistic personality, mood swings, and depression. Unseen dangers of an anorexic are a shrunken heart with an irregular beat, low body temperature, brittle bones, low blood pressure, slower pulse, and stunted

The Binge Eating Disorder is one of the main issues of our society nowadays. This disorder is suffered by a variety of people. It is not exclusive to people of a specific age or sex, but it attacks anyone who might be undergoing depression, has unhealthy and unsupervised dieting plans, and coping skill problems. As it is known that stress is common in our world today, it is not common knowledge how we are all on the verge of getting an eating disorder that is not as easily identifiable as the rest. The Binge Eating Disorder is not widely known among the society, however, its effects and coverage is growing as our population increases as well.

Body image concerns have become widespread between youth. It is formed by emotions, physical feelings, and is not static, but can change because of mood, physical experience, environment, media, and family. We are surrounded by high-calorie, low nutrient food. That’s why it’s not surprising that teenagers are confused and disappointed with the way they look. At worst they are suffering health-damaging excess weight, dangerous eating disorders, or psychological pain that sends negative ripples through all aspects of their lives. We are seeing a continuing increase in eating- and weight-related problems ranging from obesity to body dissatisfaction, unpredictable eating patterns, binge eating, too much or too little physical activity,