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Body image struggles are prevalent in teenagers today. We see many effects of this, such as body dysmorphia and low self-esteem. “What’s the main source of these issues?” you may ask. In today’s culture of perfectionism, there are continuous standards on what’s considered the “perfect image”. In many cases, teenagers ultimately struggle with comparing themselves to social media influencers who promote unrealistic beauty standards. Some common effects of body image perception are eating and body dysmorphic disorders.
Terms:
Body Image: a combination of the thoughts and feelings that you have about your body
Eating Disorder (ED): mental and physical illnesses that involve complex and damaging relationships with food, eating, exercise, and body image.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: mental health condition involving an obsessive focus on one’s perception of bodily flaws.
Eating disorders can impact people of all genders and ethnic groups. A large contributing factor to developing an eating disorder can derive from sociocultural, biological, and psychological factors. Dissatisfaction with one's body and setting unrealistic standards for oneself can increase the risk of this. The weight stigma and bullying of someone's weight can also have a huge psychological impact on the way adolescents perceive themselves.
These feelings ultimately contribute to our environment. The cultural idealization of thinness portrayed online is prevalent everywhere. Almost 40% of overweight boys and girls are made fun of, which can result in weight gain and binge eating, or extreme restrictiveness. The toxicity of dieting is actually one of the most important factors in an ED as well. Limited restriction with food disguised as “clean eating,” is frankly problematic. Both ED and body image disorders can stem from the negative effects of mainstream media and society. While there can be some difficulty in discussing teens about their bodies, the best approach is to start from a place of support and understanding. Accusations and hasty conversations can result in resentment from your loved one.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a mental health condition involving an obsessive focus on one’s perception of bodily flaws. Individuals who struggle with body dysmorphia are normally overly observant of their flaws/imperfections as compared to others. In a prior study, over 11% of patients with acne were positive for body dysmorphic disorder. On average, these patients spent 2 or more hours per day focused on their looks. Some find themselves in a constant state of distress and avoid social contact because of their insecurities; additionally, much repetitive thinking comes into play. Teens normally overwhelm themselves with social comparisons and seek reassurance. As a result, they attempt to improve their body and overall appearance in various ways even going as far as getting cosmetic surgery.
Due to social influences, both genders are affected by body image perception. Social media puts a lot of emphasis on overall perfection, such as filters that cover up flaws and images that are put on display which could ultimately result in a violent response from the public. Many people who struggle with body image and/or other mental health issues don’t seek help as they may feel as though they should stay silent. Even though teens may have some fear of speaking with a healthcare professional, they should know that there are treatments that can help. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy and SSRI medications (a specific class of antidepressants) are some of the treatments people with body dysmorphic disorder can take. Psychiatrist Kathryn Philips mentions doing these things:
Acknowledge their struggles and offer to listen.
Give them the reassurance that they have support.
Give a healthy reminder that their perception of their body is a distorted viewpoint.
Offer help and ideas for treatment.
To help with these struggles, it is crucial to view individuals from a positive perspective, where their importance and worth are not dependent on the number on the scale or outward appearance.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, DO NOT WAIT to seek help. Below are some resources along with hotlines that may help you or anyone else you think might need them! However, in case of an emergency, please call your country’s emergency number.
NEDA nationaleatingdisorders.org (America)
NEDIC nedic.ca (Canada)
Beat beateatingdisorders.org.uk (UK)
Centre for Clinical Interventions cci.health.wa.gov.au (Australia)
EDSA edsa.co.za (South Africa)
MEEDA meeda.me (The Middle East)
The MINDS Foundation mindsfoundation.org (India)
Bodywhys bodywhys.ie (Ireland)
Asociación de Lucha contra la Bulimia y la Anorexia aluba.org.ar (South America)
USA:
(+1) 800-931-2237 (NEDA)
Canada:
(+1) 866-633-4220 (NEDIC)
(+1) 800-630-0907 (Anorexia and Bulimia Quebec)
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