BODY IMAGE
self esteem
Its common for young people to feel increasingly uncomfortable with their bodies as changes occur during adolescence. Low self-esteem occurs when expectations of how you want your body to look don’t match up to reality.
These types of feelings can lead to distorted thoughts and emotions about your bodies and negative thoughts about body image and self-worth can lead to negative changes in eating and exercise behaviours.
Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Unfortunately, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by the media.
58% of teenage girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.
More than 40% of boys in middle school and high school regularly exercise with the goal of increasing muscle mass.
38% of boys in middle school and high school reported using protein supplements and nearly 6% admitted to experimenting with steroids.
DEPRESSION
While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time (weeks, months or even years) and sometimes without any apparent reason. Depression is more than just a low mood, it's a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health.
Many people don’t realise that depression doesn’t just affect someone’s mind and mood it also affects their body. Some of the physical signs of depression may be that you:
- Sleep or feel sleepy all the time, or you can’t fall asleep and wake up at normal hours
- Eat much more or much less than you usually would and experience weight loss or gain as a result
- Get headaches
- Have a sore or uncomfortable stomach
HOW BODY IMAGE IS PROMOTED
Body image is being promoted and helped my growing organisations that can be accessed at any time. A healthy body image is being comfortable in your own skin, being happy most of the time with the way you look, and feeling good with yourself. It’s about valuing who you are not what you look like.