Joyce Nash, PhD

MY SPECIALTIES:
EATING DISORDERS

Introduction

Anorexia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa

Binge Eating

Disordered Eating

Body Image

Obesity & Weight Management

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Body Image

What is "body image"?

Body image is more than just the picture of yourself that you have inside your head; body image also includes your attitudes about yourself and your physical experience of yourself in the world. You can become acutely aware of your body image under certain circumstances. For instance, if you have ever had your lip or cheek go numb as the result of a dental procedure and felt as if these body parts didn't belong to you, this is because your body image couldn't make sense of these "strange" feelings. Similarly, a person who is anorexic "sees" herself as fat, even though she is actually dangerously underweight, because of a distorted body image.

How can I manage to feel better about my body?

Because body image is in large part made up of your attitudes and beliefs about yourself, you can change your body image by challenging negative thoughts and developing healthier ways of evaluating and thinking about yourself. It can also be helpful to engage in experiences designed to help you feel differently about yourself.

What is "size acceptance"?

The human body is not infinitely malleable. There are some things that can be changed through diet, exercise, or even cosmetic surgery, but there are other things that cannot be so easily changed. Even if we could change some aspect of the body, the time, effort, and resources involved in doing so may be more than we are willing to commit. Acceptance does not mean passive surrender. Rather, size acceptance involves:

  • Changing what we can change by focusing on good eating and exercise habits, and
  • Making peace with what is beyond your ability to change,
  • Learning the difference between what can and what can't be changed.
Shouldn't I be concerned about my appearance?

Appearance is your own personal statement to the world about your uniqueness and how you think of yourself. Your appearance is often the first thing that communicates to others about you. Being concerned about appearance means knowing what it is you are communicating and what it is you want to communicate. The problem begins when you adopt and strive for an unattainable or unreasonable ideal. Our culture overvalues extreme thinness, and striving for this without regard for your particular body type and constitution can cause you to develop a dislike for your own uniqueness. This is exacerbated if appearance is your only source of judging your self-worth. You are not just a body. Keep in mind your other positive attributes, such as your academic or work performance, your special talents or interest, and your positive personality traits. Don't let culture and the media turn you into an object.

What if I hate my body?

Some people are very dissatisfied with their appearance, which usually means their shape or weight, even when others see nothing substantially wrong. This problem is called "imagined ugliness," or technically "body dysmorphic disorder." It is largely a problem of one's own perception and what you say to yourself about yourself, rather than anything that has much reality to it. Hating your body only sets you up for emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. To overcome imagined ugliness-or excessive self-criticism and self-rejection-you need the help of a professional who can help you identify and change the negative thinking that creates your body dissatisfaction.

 

 

Dr. Joyce Nash, PhD    (650) 329-1000

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