Essay On Healthy Body Image

Body image is the perception and attitude that an individual has towards their body. It’s how they perceive their physical self and the thoughts and feelings accompanying that perception. (National Eating Disorders Collaboration, 2015). There is both unhealthy and healthy body image. Healthy body image is present in an individual who is content in one 's own skin, accepting and happy in their own body and feels good within their self. This perception also understands that one 's inner self is what’s important rather than the view that appearance determines a person’s self-value. Unhealthy body image characterizes the thinking of not being good or attractive enough. Individuals usually feel that their looks do not measure up to what society, media, friends & family expect. Thoughts of inadequacy and doubt in one 's self- are also common. This thinking can lead to the obsession on trying to change parts of their bodies, usually in dangerous and harmful ways like starving, or self-induced vomiting. Among Australian high school girls, research has found that approximately 75% chose an ideal figure thinner than their own. Among adolescent boys, a third wished to be thinner, while more than a third desired to be larger than their current size. (Eating Disorders and obesity conference, November 2013) …show more content…
Physically one may take more risks with sexual health and avoid doing anything that shows their body e.g. Swimming or going to the doctors. Prolonged negative body image can result in very serious eating and exercise disorders like anorexia and bulimia. These disorders usually involve severe food restriction, binge- eating and self-induced vomiting. Very serious health effects are associated with this such as osteoporosis, fertility problems, kidney dysfunction, reduced metabolic rate, muscle wasting, anemia, extreme weight gain or loss, high cholesterol, diabetes and in extreme cases