Sandra Stein

Body image is the way you perceive yourself and how you feel about your body. It is a subjective picture of yourself that may or may not be accurate, and that strongly influences your behavior and the way you treat yourself. Inaccurate thoughts about your body can lead to dissatisfaction and distress and have a major impact on your physical and mental health, self-esteem, and overall emotional well-being. In its most severe form, poor body image is known as body dysmorphic disorder, which is a condition where you become severely obsessed over a perceived flaw that is barely detectable, if at all, and that may not even be noticeable to anyone else. Body image issues are often viewed as a predominantly women’s problem, but men suffer from them as well. Common signs of body image issues. Excessive focus on minor flaws or on certain parts of your body. Viewing yourself as ugly or unattractive and calling yourself derogatory names. Feeling ashamed or embarrassed about your body shape or size and trying to cover it up by wearing baggy or layered clothing. Being unable to accept a compliment. Constantly checking your body in the mirror and/or measuring or weighing yourself. Never being satisfied with your appearance and always thinking something about your body needs fixing. Constantly comparing your appearance with other people’s. Avoiding activities such as swimming where others might notice what your body looks like. Seeking constant reassurance from others that you look okay. Your mood depends on how you perceive yourself in the mirror. You let your physical appearance determine your self-worth. Factors that can lead to body image issues. Social media portrayals of idealized body types that have been airbrushed and edited, that promote unrealistic standards. Prevalent beauty ideals promoted by society. Pressure to conform to cultural [...]