We’re lucky to have Dr Kathleen de Boer on our team – a clinical psychologist with a real passion for supporting people navigating body image challenges. In this blog, Kathleen explores the concepts of body image, dieting and weight stigma.

What is body image?

Body image is how we see, think and feel about our bodies – our appearance, shape, weight and how our body functions. We might describe ourselves as having a “good” body image which might mean we think positively regarding our bodies, or we might be neutral about our body and not have any judgements, thoughts, or feelings regarding our appearance. However, we might also describe ourselves as having “bad” body image, meaning we judge and see our bodies negatively and are dissatisfied with our appearance and function.

How common are challenges with body image?

Very common. In fact, a national survey ran by the Butterfly Foundation in 2018 found that up to 40% of people are dissatisfied with their body. It may be common for us to sometimes think disparagingly about our bodies, however that doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. If these thoughts and feelings are causing distress or are becoming intense, it may mean something more serious is going on.

Why is addressing negative body image important?

Negative body image can ripple into many areas of life. It’s associated with low self-esteem, poor mental health such as depression and anxiety, obsessive thoughts regarding your body, comparing yourself to others and withdrawing from enjoyable activities such as playing sport or spending time with friends and family. Body image issues are also linked to changing our relationship to food and exercise and can also contribute to the development of eating disorders. It is important to address negative body image to ensure we maintain a flexible relationship with food and exercise, and we continue to enjoy all the fun life has to offer.

What is weight stigma?

Weight stigma is when someone evaluates and discriminates against another person based on their body weight or size. This can be frequently experienced by people with larger bodies and is unfortunately pervasive across several settings such as health care, media, and workplaces. A large body of research has found that the experience of weight stigma is associated with negative outcomes such as the avoidance of health care appointments and medical procedures, exercise avoidance, depression, anxiety, low self-worth, as well as contributing to the development of body image and eating disorders.

What is body shaming?

A similar concept to weight stigma, body shaming is when someone may make negative and critical comments about the body appearance or function of others or even ourselves. These comments can lead to uncomfortable and distressing emotions, such as shame, and like weight stigma, is associated with negative outcomes. Body shaming can be associated with stress, unhealthy coping mechanisms, poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety and, has been linked with the development and maintenance of body image and eating disorders.

What is diet culture?

Diet culture refers to culturally promoted norms, rules and practices surrounding food, weight and health. This system of beliefs demonises certain ways of eating while elevating others, and promotes the thin ideal as morally superior. The underlying message, and myth, is that thinness = health. Diet culture is pervasive in the media, where we might see “influencers” describing what to eat to lose weight or to improve “wellness”, without consideration to other components of health, such as mental health and relational health. Unfortunately, diet culture, and engaging in diets can be associated with the development of eating disorders as well as other negative mental health outcomes.

What sort of treatment is available for body image issues?

Body image issues can be addressed in several ways. It can be helpful for some people to reflect on and identify where their internalised beauty standards come from and if this is a value they still identify with. We can also limit our exposure to content on social media that might make us feel bad about our bodies, for instance curating your Instagram or TikTok page. When curating your social media, this might be an opportunity to diversify the content you see, for example following people with a range of body shapes, sizes, and functionalities.

It may also be helpful for people to reflect on themselves as a whole person, think about the things that come from the inside and are independent of your appearance that you might like, for instance, are you funny? Kind? Compassionate? Are you a good friend? What are your skills?

If you notice your body image concerns start to influence your behaviour, or the thoughts are becoming too distressing, you might also benefit from some professional support. Chatting to a therapist who specialises in treating body image disorders can be a helpful way to address your concerns.

What is a weight inclusive approach to healthcare?

Weight inclusive practice is an approach to healthcare that de-centres weight as a proxy for health and seeks to address the negative consequences associated with weight stigma. This approach takes a holistic perspective of health and wellbeing by promoting behaviours that increase health, rather than encouraging behaviours with the goal of weight loss. It is a social justice approach to healthcare, that acknowledges the social determinants of health, and recognises the role of and individual’s life circumstances in their health.

The idea is to promote a safe and welcoming environment for all bodies without judging or discriminating based on shape and size. Practitioners who work from this perspective recognise that body image disturbance and eating disorders can affect individuals across the weight spectrum. If this is an attitude that feels safe for you, it is always worth checking out if your health practitioner practices in this way. You might find this information in their professional bio or by contacting the clinic.

How can parents help their children with body image?

Young children are particularly vulnerable to developing body image issues, however, there are several ways in which we can ensure our children develop positive body image. Role modelling positive body image and a flexible relationship with food in the home can be a great start. Think about how you might talk about your body, or the body of others and if this is done in a disparaging way. Furthermore, we can avoid commenting on people’s bodies and their appearance altogether! If you want to compliment someone, consider complimenting a personality feature such as how kind or hardworking someone is. This can help teach young children that they have value outside of their body appearance.

It is also important to create a safe space for children to ask questions about their body and if they say negative things about their body, adopting a curious and compassionate attitude and asking them why they would say/think that. As noted previously, also being aware of the messages your young person is internalising from social media and the boarder society is also important. Consider ways in which you can promote consuming body diverse content, what movies are they watching? What books are they reading?

Do you have any resources you recommend for learning more about body image and eating disorders?

I recommend visiting the following websites for more information:

Looking for support for body image issues?

We have clinical psychologists, psychologists and social workers who can support you to navigate body image issues, including Dr Kathleen de Boer, the author of this blog post. If you’d like to chat about booking an appointment call our friendly Support Team on (03) 9376 1958 or fill out our online booking form here and we will be in touch.