Body Image
How yourself and others percieve your body.
Is body image affected positively or negatively by the media?
Positive Affects:
-Healthy dieting advertisements for people with unhealthy weights.
-Some media sources such as Aerie or Dove advertise using models of all sizes and shapes without retouching promoting confidence for all body types.
-There are small groups of unprofessional models in NYC working to advertise normal, healthy body types, hoping to better self-esteem and health habits for kids.
Negative Affects:
Body Image is part of your mental health and without being comfortable with your body your mental health can decline in some cases. Eating disorders can occur due to media images flaunting unrealistic body shapes and sizes. Depression is a common side effect that comes along with low self-esteem or eating disorders. Anorexia is an eating disorder that involves the avoidance of food for unhealthy periods of time. Another disorder is bulimia which is where a person forces themselves to vomit after eating. Without a positive self-esteem it is probable that your body image will be negative as well.
Vocabulary Terms
Eating Disorders- any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits (such as anorexia nervosa).
Self-Esteem - confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect
Mental Health - a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.
Treatment Centers for Eating Disorders
· Northeast Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders (NECCCED)
Albany Medical Center, Albany New York
· Four Winds Hospital - Saratoga Springs, New York
1-888-747-4727