- "Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body."
A person's perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body or the bodies of others.
History of Female Beauty Standards: The evolution of beauty standards over time and how they have affected women's perceptions of their bodies.
Body Positivity: Promoting self-love and acceptance of one's body regardless of shape, size, or imperfections.
Dieting and Nutrition: The impact of dieting and nutrition on body image and the development of eating disorders.
Media Portrayal of Women: The portrayal of women in the media and its effect on body image, self-esteem, and societal expectations.
Body Modification: The use of surgeries and other procedures to alter physical appearance and how it affects body image.
Intersectionality: How race, sexuality, class, and other factors intersect with body image issues and influence women's experiences.
Advertising and Consumer Culture: The role of advertising and consumer culture in shaping women's perceptions of beauty and their bodies.
Fashion and Clothing: How fashion and clothing choices can impact body image and self-esteem.
Health and Fitness: The impact of physical health and fitness on body image, including the effects of exercise and its potential to improve body image.
The Male Gaze: The societal pressure to conform to the male gaze and its impact on body image for women.
Body Shaming: The negative consequences of body shaming and its effects on self-esteem and body image.
Mental Health and Body Image: The connection between mental health and body image, including the effects of anxiety, depression, and trauma on body image.
Social Media and Body Image: The impact of social media on body image, including the potential for cyberbullying and comparison-related issues.
Eating Disorders: The various types of eating disorders, their warning signs, and how they relate to body image issues in women.
Body Image and Aging: How body image perceptions change over time and how the aging process affects women's body image.
Positive body image: This is when an individual has a healthy and balanced view of their body. They embrace their imperfections and appreciate their unique attributes.
Negative body image: This is when an individual has an unhealthy and distorted view of their body. They may focus on perceived flaws and feel self-conscious and dissatisfied with their appearance.
Perceived body image: This is how an individual believes others see their body. It may or may not reflect reality, and it can impact self-esteem and self-worth.
Ideal body image: This is the perceived "perfect" body type promoted by media, social norms, and cultural ideas. It often leads to unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards.
Disordered body image: This is when an individual experiences body dysmorphia, which is a mental health condition that causes them to obsess over perceived flaws and experience extreme anxiety about their appearance.
Intersectional body image: This recognizes that body image is shaped by multiple factors, including race, gender, sexuality, and ability. It considers the ways in which individuals may face unique challenges and discrimination based on their identities.
Body neutrality: This is when an individual focuses more on what their body is capable of rather than how it looks. It involves accepting and appreciating their body without placing too much emphasis on appearance.
Body positivity: This is a movement that focuses on promoting self-love and acceptance for all body shapes, sizes, and types. It seeks to challenge societal beauty standards and encourage individuals to embrace their unique bodies.
Fat positivity: This is an extension of body positivity that specifically promotes acceptance and celebration of larger bodies. It works to challenge fatphobia and the idea that thinness is the only "desirable" body type.
Aging body image: This is how an individual perceives their body as they age. It can be influenced by cultural perceptions of aging and can lead to feelings of insecurity and anxiety about changes in appearance.
- "The concept of body image is used in a number of disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, philosophy, cultural and feminist studies."
- "Across these disciplines, there is no single consensus definition."
- "Body image consists of the ways people view themselves; their memories, experiences, assumptions, and comparisons about their own appearances; and their overall attitudes towards their own respective heights, shapes, and weights—all of which are shaped by prevalent social and cultural ideals."
- "Body image can be negative ('body negativity') or positive ('body positivity')."
- "In a time where social media holds a very important place and is used frequently in our daily lives, people of different ages are affected emotionally and mentally by the appearance and body size/shape ideals set by the society they live in."
- "These standards created and changed by society created a world filled with body shaming; the act of humiliating an individual by mocking or making critical comments about a person's physiological appearance."
- "Such behavior creates body dissatisfaction and higher risks of eating disorders, isolation, and mental illnesses in the long term."
- "In eating disorders, a negative body image may also lead to body image disturbance, an altered perception of the whole one's body."
- "Body dissatisfaction also characterizes body dysmorphic disorder, an obsessive-compulsive disorder defined by concerns about some specific aspect of one's body which is severely flawed and warrants exceptional measures to hide or fix."
- "Often, people who have a low body image will try to alter their bodies in some way, such as by dieting or by undergoing cosmetic surgery."
- "Many factors contribute to a person's body image, including family dynamics, mental illness, biological predispositions and environmental causes for obesity or malnutrition, and cultural expectations (e.g., media and politics)."
- "People who are either underweight or overweight can have poor body image."
- "those who are normal or overweight on the BMI scale have higher risks of poor body image."
- "A 2007 report by the American Psychological Association found that a culture-wide sexualization of girls and women was contributing to increased female anxiety associated with body image."
- "An Australian government Senate Standing Committee report on the sexualization of children in the media reported similar findings associated with body image."
- "However, other scholars have expressed concern that these claims are not based on solid data."
- "All of which are shaped by prevalent social and cultural ideals."
- "A person with a negative body image may feel self-conscious or ashamed, and may feel that others are more attractive."
- "On the other hand, positive body image consists of perceiving one's figure clearly and correctly, celebrating and appreciating one's body, and understanding that one's appearance does not reflect one's character or worth."