Altered Perceptions (Body and Eating)
How common are eating disorders? The official criteria for the diagnoses of eating disorders as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are strict and very narrowly defined. Many people who do not meet these criteria still experience a variety of unhealthy thoughts and behaviors associated with eating disorders. Negative body image is a key risk factor in the development of eating disorders as well as for feelings of depression, isolation, and low self-esteem that often accompany obsession with eating and weight loss.
Body image is more than just what you see when you look in the mirror. It also includes your attitudes toward your body and the way you feel being inside your body. We all experience days of feeling uncomfortable in our bodies; a positive body image is essential in combating negative thoughts and feelings. There is no hard-and-fast way to transform negative body image. Fortunately, the following tips can provide a fresh way of thinking about your body that will help put you on the road towards feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin.
* Don’t take your body for granted. Appreciate the amazing things that you can do with a fit, well-nourished body.
* Be critical of media images. How do these messages make you feel about your body? How might this be useful from an advertiser’s perspective?
* Don’t compare yourself to other people. Explore and learn to love the things that make you unique.
* Surround yourself with positive people who have good relationships with food, eating, and their own bodies.
* Remember that beauty is a state of mind, not a state of body. When you feel good about yourself, you will project confidence that others will find attractive.
* Stop weighing yourself. If you’re always working towards a lower body weight, you’re setting yourself up for unhappiness.
* Keep a list of things that you like about yourself that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read it often, and add to it as you become aware of more things that you like.
* Take up a hobby/get involved in an extracurricular activity. It’s important to find value in yourself and in life that has nothing to do with physical appearance.