Body Image is the mental picture you have of your body. It includes attitudes and feelings about how you look & how you think other people see you.

People with HEALTHY Body Image…

• Accept bodies come in different shapes, sizes, and color
• Know there are good things about their bodies
• Appreciate what their bodies can do
• Are comfortable with their bodies
• Are critical of the ‘ideal’ body seen in the media

People with UNHEALTHY Body Image…

• May think a lot about how they see themselves or how they think others see them
• COMPARE themselves to others frequently
• May be uncomfortable with their bodies.

Body image is influenced by many things including family, friends, society, media and so forth.

The media shows people in ways that set impossible standards. Tricks like makeup, photoshop, and airbrushing make celebrities seem more flawless than they are! Remember it’s their job to be pretty. Eating Disorders are often a coping strategy for other problems. Eating disorders are usually characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight as well as emotional, social & physical difficulties.

ME

Me. I am the only ME I’ve got, and I am unique. There are two major parts of ME. There is the inside ME and the outside ME. The outside ME is what you see: the way I act, the image I portray, the way I look and the things I do. The outside ME is very important. It is my messenger to the world and much of my outside ME is what communicates with you. I value what I have done, the way I look, and what I share with you. The inside ME knows all my feelings, my secret ideas, and my many hopes and dreams. Sometimes, I let you know a little bit about the inside ME and the more I learn about myself, the more responsibility I am going to take. You see my ME is my responsibility. As I know myself more and more, I find out that I am an OK person. I have some good things in my life because I am a good person. I have accomplished some things in my life because I am a competent person. I know some special people because I am worth knowing. I celebrate the many things I have done for myself. I’ve also made some mistakes. I can learn from them. I have also known some people who did not appreciate me. They’re missing out on knowing a great person. I’ve wasted some precious time. I can start to make new choices now. If I can feel, think, grow, and behave, I have great possibility. I’m going to take those risks and those possibilities, and I am going to grow and love and celebrate. I AM WORTH IT!

Source: “Everybody is a Somebody”, The Body Image Project Tool Kit, The Eating Disorders, Body Image resources. Prevention & Promotion, (Mental Health & Addiction Services Western Health 2018)