… now go and stand in front of a mirror.
Do you like what you see?
Body image seems to be a universal issue. There aren’t too many people who are completely happy with the way they look. It’s probably more of an issue for women but if you think that men don’t have body image issues you’d be very mistaken.
I was joined by psychologist Genevieve Milnes M.App.Psych, MA (Couns), B.Ed, B.Div from the Belmont Counselling Clinic during my morning radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM this morning. We started a series of discussions about body image.
One of the first things we did was run through a questionnaire. Maybe you’d like to see how you go answering the following questions.
Do you avoid swimming or gyms because you donβt want to be seen in gym clothes?
Does eating a small amount of food make you feel fat?
Do you worry a lot about your body not being thin enough, small enough or good enough?
Are you concerned your body is not good enough in certain areas?
Do you avoid wearing certain clothes because they make you feel fat?
Do you feel badly about your body or dislike your body?
Do you want to change something about your body?
Do you compare yourself unfavourably to others?
Do you look in the mirror and dislike what you see?
If you found yourself answering yes to more than a couple of those questions you’ve probably got some issues with body image which can then lead to problems with self-esteem.
During the segment today we spoke to Melissa who has been battling eating disorders for eight to ten years. The pain in her voice tells only part of the story of how difficult the struggle is for her.
If you’d like to listen to the programme you can click here. If you want to make sure that you don’t miss the rest of the series you can go to Sonshine FM’s Audio On Demand service and subscribe to Genevieve’s weekly segment.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
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Technorati Tags: Body Image – Self-Esteem – Radio
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Very serious topic, Rodney…but I bet you increased your site traffic with that subject line! π
Wow. I answered yes to all of them! But then, I really DO have some work to do! I need to eat better and get back in shape.
And how much do we contribute to how others feel about themselves?
Hey Cindy, glad it got your attention. π
I know what you mean, Jennifer. I think there’s a balance there somewhere. I answered yes to quite a few becuase I’m in the same boat. I need to lose a few kilograms but I suppose we need to make sure that body image isn’t our entire focus.
hazelblackberry, in those few words you’ve said so much. I’m very careful about the words I use becuase I know how even an innocent comment can do so much damage. I’m especially careful around our daughter Emily. I want her to realise just how beautiful she is no matter what shape she is.