A person's appearance is just one part of the many things that he or she is. 

Judging a person by their appearance does not define their beauty but ours. Beauty does not mean a pretty face and body but having inner beauty. We should not shame others' body types to validate our bodies and build ourselves up. If we build ourselves inside out, our bodies will follow. One should not sacrifice mental health for having a perfect body. It has been observed that mockery of one's body type can lead to degradation in mental well-being and lack of confidence. To understand the consequences of body shaming, we need to understand it through three aspects- body image, expressivity, and life orientation. So if a nasty body image bothers you too much and if someone body shames you every now and then, this is what you should do…….READ ON!

What Is Body Image?

Body image is a person's impression of their physical selves and the ideas and feelings they associate with those perceptions. It's critical to realize that these emotions can be constructive or destructive, positive, negative, or both, and are affected by environmental and individual factors.

Four aspects of body image-

• The way you see yourself (Perceptual)
• The way you feel about the way you look (Affective)
• The thoughts and beliefs you feel about your body (Cognitive)
• The things you do about the way you look (Behavioral)

Why Is A Healthy Positive Body Image Important?

People with a favorable self-image tend to have better overall physical and mental health and better personal growth. A person with a positive and encouraging body image will have –

• High self-esteem levels
• High self-acceptance
• Healthy outlook and behaviors

Why Do Some People Have A Negative Or Unfavorable Body Image?

• Body image problems can affect people at any age, especially young adults.
• Adolescent girls are more prone to body image dissatisfaction than adolescent boys.
• People who have depression or low self-esteem suffer body image dissatisfaction.
• People who are high achievers or perfectionists tend to compare themselves to beauty idols and also suffer this kind of dissatisfaction.
• Having friends or family who do the diet for weight loss and have high body image concerns
• People teased for their appearance, like more weight, also suffer from body image dissatisfaction.
• Body shaming in society - In western society, body image dissatisfaction has become a cultural norm.
• Unrealistic images of beauty stars and TV actors also lead to body image dissatisfaction.

What Is Body Shaming?

It makes people feel bad about themselves and receive criticism for their appearance. It includes stigmatizing someone for their weight, thinness, height, hair color, lack of hair, body type, facial characteristics, tattoos, and illnesses that leave physical signs like psoriasis. It also includes stigmatizing individuals for body piercings. It may occasionally appear that a person lacks sufficient femininity or muscle. Significant amounts of body shaming can have detrimental emotional impacts, including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, self-harming tendencies, and body image disturbances. These are the negative effects of body shaming.

What Are The Signs Of Body Image Dissatisfaction? - Body Shaming Impacts

• Repetitive dieting behavior
• Compulsive exercise patterns
• Value one's appearance excessively and compares oneself to beauty idols.
• Consistent negative talk about one's body or image
• Monitoring own appearance and attractiveness frequently.
• Self-objectification based on appearances
• Aspirational social comparison
• Avoiding situations where body image may cause anxiety, such as socializing, etc.

What Is The Treatment For Body Image Dissatisfaction?

Here’s how to deal with body shaming - some effective therapies are-

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Meditation
• Physical fitness therapy
• Media and social media education
• Do not body shame anyone

What Steps Can You Take To Overcome Negative Body Image?

• Detox from social media to reset natural self-image.
• Create a list of things you like about yourself and daily read it.
• Surround yourself with loving and positive people.
• Respect yourself and the negative points about yourselves
• Redefine beauty less superficially.
• Take your own comfort when choosing clothes. Do not wear them to show to society when you are not comfortable.
• Explore activities that allow you to discover how your body works and what it can do.
• Spend time volunteering with others as it boosts self-confidence and acceptance.
• Always feel that your body is good regardless of how it looks, the opinion of others 
• Unfollow people on social media who trigger negative thoughts or comments on body image.                               

DON'T LET YOUR BODY SHAPE DEFINE YOUR BEAUTY…LET NO ONE BODY SHAME YOU!

BY AND LARGE, YOU DEFINE YOUR BEAUTY YOURSELF. SOCIETY DOES NOT DEFINE YOUR BEAUTY!

DO NOT BE A VICTIM OF BODY SHAMING.

Visit Project Global Cure and read more compelling and trending blogs to quench your knowledge of body image dissatisfaction and how our society fights it.

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