Body Image
We are not born hating our bodies. I don’t remember much from being a baby, toddler or even a small child, but I know I was definitely care free. You sleep, eat when you’re hungry, play… and repeat. Babies, quite simply, live happily in the experience of their bodies every day. They don’t body check, they don’t wish for a smaller belly or a bigger bum. Toddlers live and play without ever questioning anything about themselves. Young children use and love their bodies for what they are able to do.
Now I know talking about babies with regards to body image may seem slightly farfetched when they are oblivious to most things, but I think looking at most toddlers and how they are in regards to their bodies is a little less ridiculous as these days body image issues can start in kids as young as 2 years old.
A toddler/child tends to be able to move relatively well, as well as doing a good job of listening to their hunger cues. As we age, we often allow ourselves to lose these highly desirable traits that most young children possess. Magazines, social media, movies, the diet industry, our peers… there are messages coming from everywhere telling us that our bodies are a problem - which is, in itself, a problem. However, the bigger issue is that we are blind to them and unaware we are helping to spread that message. This can impact not only your own body happiness, but also that of any kids who are around you regularly.
I know that I am guilty of being part of the problem. I have contributed to my own body dissatisfaction, and to the body dissatisfaction of those around me - but I am not alone in that. More and more people are unknowingly enabling these beliefs, in themselves and others, that their body isn’t good enough, or doesn’t match up to society’s standards.
I am no academic, doctor or therapist, but it does sadden me to see truly wonderful people constantly put themselves down over their appearance. As you know, Core Training is not against people wanting to lose weight, but we do need people to know that they are enough just as they are and they don’t need weight loss in order to feel good about themselves.
Exercise and good nutrition are important for our health, but we are too often presented with one specific idea of what ‘health’ is - and in reality, it is so much more than that. Health isn’t just what you eat and how much you move your body, it is also your mental health and how you feel about your body. How we feel about our bodies can have a huge impact on the way we interact with friends and our performance at work or school. Whilst it is slowly being talked about more and more, there is still a long way for us to go.
Recently, I read the following in a book; “researchers tell us that the evidence shows the better we feel about our bodies (regardless of what they look like), the more likely we are to do things that feel good for our body” and this is a point that is very rarely used as a selling point in social media, magazines, diet companies or other media outlets.
It is never too late to change how you feel about your body and how you treat it, and for the generations to come, it is increasingly important to try and build a community and society that is less body-focused. This won’t mean you need to have booming self-confidence, or that you will never compare yourself to a celebrity in a magazine again - but it’s about giving yourself a bit more of a chance to treat your body in a way your younger self would have wanted you to. So, I am going to leave you with a few questions:
What exactly is body image?
How is it measured?
Why does it matter?
And when does it all begin?
If you want the answers from people whose job it is to research the subject of body image, then please reply and we will make sure we will follow up and answer them all for you!
