How you view your body and the feeling you nurture about your physical self is called body image. It may very well not be real! How do we acquire this image of ourselves? How do we improve a negative body image?
The way your family and close ones view you as a child becomes relevant to your body image. The information you gathered from them about yourself is often stored away in the deep recesses of the subconscious mind and revisited unconsciously ever so often: A mother who was critical about your complexion; a father who commented on your looks; peers/siblings who teased you about your size. All this can affect the way you relate to yourself.
Susceptible to criticism
Women, particularly, are susceptible to criticism about their body. Often, this is translated into a negative body image. I see this with young women with overly critical husbands; women who try to live up to some ideal expected of them; teenage girls vulnerable to peer pressure. Disregard for one's own body leading to obesity, anorexia, bulimia, or other psychosomatic disorders is often the result of the inner pain that an individual experiences.
On the other hand, praise, attention, care and love often decode as positive body image. This is, of course, an over-simplification of what most often cannot be clearly understood. Eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, negative feeling about oneself, low self-esteem cannot always be explained by past experiences.
What is relevant is to understand that parents, peers even a trainer/ instructor can play a critical role in how an individual views herself. An obese child, no doubt, can be a cause for great concern for the parents, especially if she has been diagnosed with other medical conditions like polycystic ovarian disease. How this is handled is important.
I have overweight parents who bring their daughter to me complaining she is overweight, over-eats, does not exercise and now has PCOD! Hardly surprising considering that the parents don't seem to set an example to live by. “Do what I say, not what I do”, seems to be the dictum. A mother who does not take her own health and fitness seriously cannot expect her daughter to. When the entire family is concerned with culinary indulgences, how is a teenage girl to watch her calories?
Women today are under great pressure to look good physically. One can find any method possible, unsavoury or otherwise, to improve one's appearance. Surgery, laser, creams, gels, beauty parlours, hair transplant, botox... the promise of eternal beauty. The lure of the image in the mirror!
Similarly, with exercise, often one is drawn to it with the hope of attaining that stunning figure. Hard work does pay physical dividends but it is much more advantageous and emotionally satisfying to focus on more than just physical appearance. Improving body image is more than just about physical appearance:
Exercise regularly: Body image improves with exercise regardless of changing shape or size. Possibly, the release of endorphins and the subsequent better mood tends to elevate morale, self-esteem and sense of acceptance of one's body.
Avoid stereotypes: Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. It is better to be the best you can be rather than pine for a body you cannot achieve. Focus on fitness rather than thinness.
Parental pressure plays a crucial role: Understanding that the child's self-esteem rests with how she is viewed by her loved ones is important in being able to deal effectively with her. Being overly critical only lays the foundation for future angst. The emphasis should be on health rather than size or appearance. Obviously, leading by example is always more effective.
Avoid comparisons: Comparing your own body to that of your best friend, parents comparing siblings etc can be disastrous. Every one is different and each one responds differently to exercise. So while one might improve tremendously after the first few exercise sessions, another may have a steep learning curve. Accept that you are different. Focus instead on what you have achieved.
Emphasise health rather than physical appearance: Focussing on health rather than just appearance during exercise sessions has been found to improve persistent participation with exercise. Trainers and group instructors should focus on the health benefits of fitness rather than just the weighing scale when training clients.
Instructor's body image: Instructors and trainers need to first deal with their own body image and/or dissatisfaction to a more realistic approach to be able to guide clients properly. Some are overly critical about their own bodies. This can transfer to the clients. A thin instructor is not always better than a slightly overweight one. Instructors go through their own body rhythms. Dealing with weight gain/loss effectively, focusing on fitness rather than weight alone sets a good example for the client. Sometimes I see trainers foisting their own idea of an ideal body on a client. A client should be encouraged to reach his own potential, not his trainer's.
Emphasise “form” of exercise: While exercising, rather than focusing on burning calories, emphasising correct form, improving coordination and so on takes the pressure off from appearance to actual performance.
Beware of communication: Instructors and trainers also need to beware of what they communicate to a client. One never quite knows how comments will be misconstrued, especially if the client is vulnerable. Avoid using terms like fat hips, sagging tummy, big thighs etc.
Balanced eating: Focus on healthy eating and not an obsession with food and calories. This could very well lead to an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia that is nothing but the endorsement of poor body image.
A positive body image goes a long way to improving one's self-esteem and performance. Accepting one's flaws and working towards a better self is more important than expecting perfection.
E-mail: drsheela@tfl-inc.com
