Self-Esteem and Body Image in Adolescents

Defining Self-Esteem Self-esteem Individual’s sense of his/her worth; extent to which a person values, approves of, or appreciates himself/herself Self-concept more global sense of self-worth Self-efficacy One’s belief that one has the ability to complete or accomplish a particular task

Body Image Linked to self-esteem and self- concept Shaped by past experiences (positive or negative) Boys and girls More complex than weight, height or muscle mass Not individual or optimal body size or weight but how you feel about your body and your life experiences

What Is Body Image? Formed at an early age Influenced by our parents, caregivers, peers and life experiences Relates to how you feel about your body and what you think your body look like to others Perspectives may not be objective Every body is different Ideal body weight is the weight that allows us to feel strong and energetic and lets us lead a healthy life

How do I know if I suffer from Body Image issues! Do you Weigh or measure yourself daily or more Allow the number on the scale to determine how you feel about yourself Under eat when with others and over eat when by yourself Restrict food intake all day and overeat on weekends Have a closet full of clothes in different sizes Believe that all of your life’s problems would be solved if only you were thin Feel guilty and ashamed when you eat anything other than diet food Find yourself constantly critical of your body or specific body parts Are waiting to be thinner before beginning any new activity like exercising, dating, getting a part time job etc…

Body Projects In the 20 th century, American girls have made their bodies “projects” as a form of self-definition and self- expression. As the female body has become more and more exposed in the media (particularly in film) the demands on beauty and dietary regimens have increased.

A brief history: 1920s—the century of svelte/slimming; college women began dieting, flapper image in vogue 1930s—modern bra comes into existence; prior to this it was a camisole, store manufacturing of clothes rather than homemade; girls are made to adapt bodies to clothes rather than the other way around

More… 1960s—dieting becomes a persistent preoccupation, rather than episodic; girls start dieting at 9 or 10 instead of s—smaller bikinis, and the “jeaning of America”; all promoted leaner thighs (NO thunder thighs); hair is also a major focus

1990s—piercings!; what used to be exotic and more characteristic of primitive people becomes the latest form of self expression 2000s—??? Tattoos? Lasik vision correction? Teeth whitening? Cosmetic Surgery?

Research on Media Exposure A 2005 study showed exposure to models (ultra thin or average size) resulted in lower body satisfaction and lower self-esteem in girls aged A 2003 study of female undergraduates showed that both magazine and TV exposure to thin ideals were related to body dissatisfaction. However the processes were very different: Magazine exposure was related to internalization but not awareness of the thin ideal standard Television watching was negatively related to awareness, but not at all to internalization

In a 2005 study of the relationship between television viewing and body attitudes on 1,500 eighth through eleventh grade boys and girls, the following was found: girls considered themselves as more overweight than boys boys watched more TV than girls but watched sports, entertainment, and information shows for enjoyment while girls watched soap operas and music videos and did so for social learning purposes watching soap operas was related to drive for thinness for boys and girls watching music videos was not related to any body image variable for girls, but was related to drive for muscularity for boys

Canadian Statistics on Eating Disorders 27% of Ontario girls 12 to 18 years old are engaged in disordered food and weight behaviour Third most common chronic illness in adolescent girls Almost one in every two girls and almost one in every five boys in Grade 10 either was on a diet or wanted to lose weight

How Big Is the Body Image Problem? Increases the risk for extreme body/weight control behaviours Increased preoccupation with appearance and body dissatisfaction Increased risk for engaging in dangerous practices to control weight and size Can lead to more harmful behaviours Increased risk for developing disordered eating or an eating disorder.

Positive and Negative Body Image People with positive body image exhibit Self-confidence, energy, vitality and positive self-appraisal Feelings of attractiveness and beauty Trust and respect for their bodies Freedom of expression with their bodies, not dependent on weight People with negative body image describe Dissatisfaction with their physical appearance Belief that their appearance is being scrutinized and evaluated by others Excessive emphasis on physical appearance in how they evaluate themselves Distressing preoccupation with their bodies Feelings of shame and/or embarrassment

Positive Body Image Realistic perception of the body Understand that healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about character or value Assessment of the body is separate from a sense of self-esteem

Negative body image Body dysmorphic disorder Over-preoccupation with an “imagined” physical defect in appearance Usually nose, skin, or hair Anxiety and/or depression Muscle dysmorphia (bigorexia) Over-preoccupation with the perception or feeling that one’s muscles are too small or too weak Spend unrealistic amounts of time working out in the gym, and yet they don’t feel “good enough”

What Are Some Factors That Affect Body Image? Standards set by society and the culture that surrounds us Comments from family, friends, and others about our bodies, their bodies, and other people’s bodies Self-esteem (view our bodies and evaluate ourselves) History of abuse, teasing, life changes, and physical changes that may be a result of puberty, medical problems, surgery or sports injuries Images of idealized versus normal bodies

Eating Disorders Negative body image and body dissatisfaction increase risk Anorexia or bulimia nervosa Perceive themselves as being larger than they actually are Increase in dieting behaviour – depression, decreased self-confidence, increased feelings of anxiety, feelings of unattractiveness and persistent concern about weight People with negative body image may Engage in excessive body checking Camouflage their size and shape with loose and bulky clothing Avoid social situations that trigger physical self- consciousness Avoid exposing their bodies

How Do Eating and Body Image Go Together? Eating disorders are internal conflicts about food and/or body size and shape Healthy eating behaviours are associated with feeling confident about body shape and size Disordered eating behaviours are associated with a preoccupation with appearance and an attempt to change body size through a focus on diets

Eating disorders Anorexia nervosa Fear of weight gain and severe restriction of food intake, which can result in significant weight loss Bulimia nervosa Attempt to avoid weight gain or to manage weight through frequent compensation by purging Binge eating disorder pattern of binge eating (feeling out of control while eating) without purging May take a variety of forms (mild to severe)

Boosting a Body Image? What are three ways to boost body image? How can you change your body type? If you know people who are always comparing themselves to others in terms of appearance, what could you do or say to help? How could participating in physical activity contribute to positive body image?

Exposure to Mass Media and Weight Concerns Girls between Grades 5 and 12 69% reported that magazine pictures influence their idea of the perfect body shape 47% reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures Girls who were frequent readers of fashion magazines were two to three times more likely than infrequent readers To diet to lose weight because of a magazine article To exercise to lose weight because of a magazine article To feel that magazines influence what they believe is the ideal body shape

Dove Self-Esteem Fund Think critically about the media and about how much the media work to influence people of all ages

The Power of Advertising Advertising is the most influential media in our culture It reflects our daydreams, affects what we eat, what we wear, how we look and play.

Perfection

Women in Advertising Media portrays women in debilitating, demeaning and inaccurate ways It presents women as flawless, decorative objects, and creates unrealistic expectations for women

Women are Decorative/Sex Objects

Cultivating Images of Thinness In advertising, women receive more messages about slimness and staying in shape than men do thinness is associated with good health and attractiveness In fact, images of thinness are a major cause of the eating disorders of bulimia and anorexia.

Thin is Beautiful Thinness is Associated with Health

Magazine Models Don’t believe everything that you see and read!

Real or Not? RealNot

Factoids 32% of female TV network characters are underweight; 3% overweight 5% of females in North America are underweight; 25% overweight 90% of people with eating disorders are women According to Health magazine, Apr 2002

Factoid there are 3 BILLION women who don’t look like super models and only 8 who do Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 (that would make her a PLUS size model today) If shop mannequins were real women, they’d be too thin to menstruate models in magazines are airbrushed – they’re not perfect 20 years ago, models weighed 8% less than the average women. Today, they weigh 23% less

Image Changes… 4 years of age= “ My mommy can do anything!” 8 years of age= “ My mom knows a lot. A whole lot!” 12 years of age= “ My mom knows a lot, but not everything.” 14 years of age= “ Naturally, mother doesn’t know that either.” 16 years of age= “ Mother! She’s totally outdated…” 18 years of age= “ Mom! Arggg! She doesn’t know today’s stuff!” 25 years of age= “ Maybe mom knows more than I gave her credit for.” 35 years of age= “ Before we make this big decision, let’s see what mom thinks!” 45 years of age= “ I wonder what mom would think!??!” 65 years of age= “ I really wish I could talk it over with my mom!” Funny how image changes over time! Don’t get so caught up with today!

How to improve body image… 1.Celebrate our natural sizes – enjoy the diversity of our body shapes 2.Become informed and recognize and challenge myths and misperceptions about body image 3.Challenge weight prejudice. Challenge the media. 4.Boycott the diet industry 5.Educate others around the issues of weight prejudice and set point theory 6.Surround yourself with a range of realistic body images 7.Surround yourself with positive people who build you up, not tear you down 8.Positive affirmations – learning to love yourself is a process, it takes time to truly love the skin you are in

Body Myths Myth #1: Overeating Causes Overweight Animal research suggests at least 51 causes of overweight, including genetic, metabolic and other environmental factors. Myth # 2: Dieting is Effective Clinical studies show that up to 95% of dieters regain the weight lost, usually within the first year. (yo-yo dieters…) Myth #3: Dieting is Healthy In addition to inadequate nutrition, dieting has been implicated in the development of weakness, fatigue, binge eating, bulimia, weight gain and obesity. (Don’t diet, make lifestyle changes!!!) Myth # 4: Everyone Can Be Slim Many researchers are suggesting that the body has a "set point" or biological control for the amount fat in the body; weight is determined predominately by genetics and early nutrition.