Body image – How you feel about your body

Body image is seen by many as an increasingly important issue, with reports that as many as three-quarters of girls aged 11 to 21 are dieting to try and achieve a more perfect body shape.

A study by MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image concluded at the start of the year not only that body image dissatisfaction is “high and on the increase” in the UK, but that it is an issue affecting “all of society, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, body size and shape.”

Yet a recent YouGov Public Opinion poll of women in the UK found that the majority (62%) felt either fairly or very positive about their bodies, against 33% who viewed their bodies fairly or very negatively.

In Labs, we were interested in getting your personal narratives on body image. To what extent would you say you have a positive or negative view of your body, we enquired, and what do you put it down to?

Where YouGov’s Public Opinion polling had found two-thirds of UK women feel either fairly or very positive about their bodies, however, in Labs, we found that those giving their views tended to have a fairly or very negative view of their bodies, rather than a positive one. Our male participants were roughly split down the middle in terms of how they viewed their bodies.

We then asked you to tell us what, if anything, you thought most influences your view of your body.

Across the negative/positive divide, the top 3 answers given by participants were that the media and ‘experiences growing up most influenced their body image, or conversely, that ‘nothing’, or no external influences, affected how they saw themselves.

There were some differences, however:

• Those of you who said you had a negative body image were most influenced by ‘the media’, followed by ‘experiences growing up’, against ‘nothing’ (i.e. no external influences).
• For those of you who had a positive body image the largest proportion said that ‘nothing’ influences how you view your bodies, while others answered that their partners and ‘experiences growing up’ had affected their body image.

Among other recommendations, MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Body Image in January was suggested all school children should take part in body image lessons to address the concept of self-esteem.

So in the final stage of the Lab, we asked you for some of your own – Is there anything else you think could be done to tackle problems with negative body image?

• Many of you said that tackling unrealistic images of airbrushed celebrities, as well as clamping down on the objectification of women in the media, would help tackle negative body image.
• Participants also argued that obesity was a major cause of negative body image, and said that there should be more of an effort made by schools to promote healthy eating and exercise.

Read below what participants in the discussion had to say about their own views of their bodies, as well as how to tackle negative body image in society…

How do you feel about your body?

Do you think it is a challenge to tackle childhood obesity, and negative body image in children, simultaneously?

Q: What do you think most influences your view of your body?

‘The media’ most influences how I view my body’

• Both those who viewed their bodies negatively, and those with a positive body image, said that the media made them feel inadequate and self-conscious about their bodies.
• You said that being presented with images of people with ‘perfect’ bodies, even though you knew they were digitally enhanced, led you to draw unfavourable comparisons between your own body and the bodies of people you see in the media.
• Many of you said that when celebrities’ bodies are criticised in the media, it makes you feel badly about your own bodies.

‘Experiences growing up’ most influence how I view my body’

• Those who took part in the discussion said that being teased and ‘bullied’ about their appearances growing up, particularly about being overweight, has made them have negative body images as adults.
• You said that negative comments from both family and other children at school stuck with you, and have not only made it difficult to view your bodies positively, but in some cases fuelled an unhealthy relationship with food.
• A smaller proportion of those who said that experiences growing up influenced their body image said that it had a positive effect, and described how being encouraged by your parents to like your bodies has led to you having a positive body image as adults.

‘Nothing’ influences how I view my body’

• Those who told us that ‘nothing’ influenced their body image said they were capable of viewing their bodies objectively, and thus did not need anyone else to tell them how they looked.
• Many of you said you wouldn’t mind losing a bit of weight, but that it was within your control and you were not at all interested in other people’s opinions about your bodies.
• Others said they were at peace with their imperfections, and that being healthy was far more important to them than having a perfect body.

'The media' most influences how I view my body

“When you see pictures of people in magazines that look amazing then you want to try to look amazing too by copying them, but then you also see media articles saying how much the pictures are airbrushed. Seeing pictures on Facebook of really pretty girls makes you want to improve your body image too” Anon

“By making fun of celebrity's wobbly/bumpy bits it makes you think that other people will do the same” Anon, Yorkshire

“Constant images of photoshopped women – thin, big boobed, perfect skin and hair, no wrinkles – makes me feel fairly inadequate and definitely not beautiful” Helen N, Nottingham

“For the young, impressionable woman who reads this magazine and sees the airbrushed, flawless specimen on the front cover, not a blemish, stretchmark or millimetre of cellulite on her perfectly toned body, what does she then think of herself when she looks in the mirror?” Kate, Southampton

“I am very overweight and feel hounded by the media who are constantly harping on about obesity, and then in the same programme moan on about young girls' body image” Anon

“I am constantly bombarded with images of beautiful, thin women, who seem to have it all. I find it a constant struggle to realize that not being super skinny does not mean I am out of control, a failure, and inadequate. I am an intelligent woman but I still struggle with this. I know I am not overweight or especially unattractive, but it is hard to believe this 24/7” Anon

“You see in magazines about people's 'belly bulge' and how so called 'bad' it is. You never see a fat positive role model in the media – for example there isn't a large Disney Princess. No matter what size you are, everyone is beautiful, but the media always downgrades larger people, and sometimes that makes people eat more, and that continues a cycle” Judy P, Dorset

“Even though the images are unreal through airbrushing, or the models are unusually perfect, it is impossible for the drip-drip effect not to be undermining” Anon

'Experiences growing up' most influence how I view my body

“I was very badly bullied throughout school and college for being overweight, and children's comments can be the most cruel. … Currently, I am what would be referred to as slim and healthy, but because for 18 years I had a negative body image, I cannot bring myself to love my body and this still causes me stress” Anna M, Newcastle

“Comments from other people including family are not always positive. Most people remember and dwell on negative comments received” Anon

“Having been overweight from an early age, I suffered bullying and discrimination relating to my size, this has impacted me throughout my adult life” Anon

“I was overweight as a child. My mother made a huge issue out of it, comparing me with my sister. As a result, I have been obsessed with diet, health and exercise all my life” Anon

“Being constantly bullied at school because I didn't look like everyone else had a horrible effect on my self-esteem. I began to think I wasn't worth anything because I didn't look like everyone else. … All the stuff on TV emphasising that obesity is the root of all evil just validates the bullies and makes it worse. I ended up stuck in a cycle that I don't think I'll ever recover from fully” Anon

“I was always told by my family to set greater store on my mind and beliefs than my physical image, and this outweighed the messages of the rubbishy teenage magazines I also consumed” Lia, London

“Was brought up to be grateful that I am able bodied and fit and healthy. Was brought up in a supportive household, where physical appearance was just another aspect to who you were and not the most important thing. However, I was raised to realise the importance of keeping fit and the negative health implications associated with being too fat or too thin” Emily, Devon

'Nothing' influences how I view my body

“I make my own decision about what I look like. I am not interested in what other people think about my body. I accept and never make comment or criticise what others look like and I expected to be treated with the same courtesy” Anon

“I am a very confident person and don't care how other people see me” John, Hunstanton

“Because I accept me for who I am. I can see and hear, and I have two legs and arms, and a brain that works and I am healthy. There are people out there worse-off than me so why worry about how I look? I'm thankful for small mercies!” Anon

“I am aware of my body shape and size and know I am overweight. I am the only one this matters to and am the only one who can do anything to change it, so why worry about what other people think or say? It really doesn't matter what they think because it is my body” PT, Keighley

“I have always eaten healthily and exercised so I am slim and fit, and at 71 that is all I need to be. Looks are not very important unless they impact on your health and daily life” Lindsay, Brixham

“I am aware that my body is my body, and I am in control of how it looks. If I want to change it I can exercise more or eat less cake. I am not concerned about how anyone else sees my body” Anon

“Nothing influences the way I view my body apart from me. I think I could do with losing a little fat because it is obviously not the way my body is meant to be. I don't rely on anyone else to tell me how I should or shouldn't look” John, Nottingham

“It is what it is. I know this without needing to be influenced by others” NS, London

Q: What can be done to tackle problems with negative body image?

SOLUTION: Crack down on unrealistic media images

“Unfortunately, society is obsessed with vain, shallow, talentless nobodies, whose only attribute is their body. Pictures of the famous are doctored to promote their self-image in ways that mislead those gullible enough to believe” David, Cambridge

“The fact that unnaturally skinny women and toned men are plastered across pages and television screens for people of all ages to see is also contributing to the rising levels of negative body image. Although it is impossible to change everything overnight, there are already campaigns and programmes focusing on the 'real woman' or man, and how pleasing everyone with your figure is impossible. In the fashion world, designers like Louis Vuitton and Zac Posen have already released lines and advertisement campaigns promoting a fuller figure. Perhaps this is the start to a new way of tackling the issue of negative body image” Karen O, Wales

“Legislation to ensure adverts and magazines use models who are not overly thin, and a banning of photoshopped images. Perhaps the school classes could also point out how deceiving the media images are” Helen N, Nottingham

“Put a halt to airbrushing in magazines, and pay less attention to attention-seeking celebrities. Allow children to actually behave like children, and stop the sale of grown up make up and clothing for toddlers” Anon

“The media has the biggest impact on the way people views themselves, and they will be the primary source of if anything is to happen” Omari P, London

SOLUTION: Encourage children to eat well and exercise, and redefine 'perfection'

“Healthy meals at school and intense sport” Anon

“Focusing too much on a child's weight in my opinion just makes it worse, more should be done to encourage a healthy relationship with food and promote exercise” Anon

“Stop avoiding being direct with health issues. A ‘body image’ only arises when people beat around the bush, and young children become unsure about how they should view themselves. There is no perception of health, there is only healthy or unhealthy, and kids are smart enough to be able to deal with it” N, London

“All the school lessons in the world will be ineffective if the family is eating high calorie food every day” Penny P, Essex

“I think it is all too politically correct now. If someone is actually fat, they should know about it. Anyway, it is not slim build in general that should be promoted, but healthy ” Alex, London

“Try to ensure that all children have a positive experience of physical education at school. My PE lessons were limited to rugby and football – all sports that I hated and were too competitive and biased towards the more talented kids. It was also a place where bullying reached its peak for me because the teachers didn't care about it, and some got pleasure from it. We don't all like to pointlessly kick a ball around a pitch” AM, Hereford

How do you feel about your body?

Do you think it is a challenge to tackle childhood obesity, and negative body image in children, simultaneously?