Tanith Belbin is one of the foremost ice dancers in the world. She and her partner, Ben Agosto, won a silver medal in the 2006 Olympics, but Belbin looks back on those Olympics with something other than joy. Shes embarrassed by photographs that show spindly legs and a jutting chest bone.

Four years later, according to Juliet Macur's Feb. 16 New York Times article, Belbin has overcome a history of unhealthy eating practices, and she and her partner are hoping for an even more impressive result in the 2010 Olympic Games:

She can thank one of her coaches, Natalia Linichuk, for that. ...

Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov, who were the 1980 Olympic ice dancing champions, began coaching Belbin and Agosto in the summer of 2008, when Belbin and Agosto left suburban Detroit for a fresh start.

Linichuk took one look at the 5-foot-6, 105-pound Belbin and said, "You need to gain 10 pounds." She said more muscle would help Belbin skate faster and more fluidly. ...

As it turned out, Linichuk also ended up saving Belbin from a problem that has long plagued figure skaters: disordered eating. Often not as severe as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, disordered eating involves irregular eating habits that can be fueled by a distorted body image. Belbin said she had struggled with those issues since puberty.

Labels: binge eating, self-esteem, self-image_issues, purging

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After suffering from eating disorders over the past three decades, a 43-year-old Canadian woman has gone public with her struggle and her decision to finally get help.

A Jan. 11 Abbotsford (British Columbia) News article by Vikki Hopes provided the following glimpse into the life of Carla Bartlett-Hitchings:

Carlas self-worth had been eroded by an abusive environment. She thought she was fat and ugly, and she wanted to look like that model.

Purging made her feel good; like she was in control in a world that was otherwise supremely chaotic. Subconsciously, it was a form of self-abuse: She didnt deserve better because she was so unloveable. &

Carlas eating disorder  bulimia for most of her life, turning to anorexia in the last year  stems from a childhood riddled with abuse: emotional, physical, verbal and sexual.

Her parents were both alcoholic, and her mom suffered from what was later diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Carla would often hide in her closet, the only place she felt safe from the insanity of her home.

Once the eating disorder took hold, Carla couldnt let go. It made her feel strong and empowered: I finally have control. Look what I can do.

I dont know why Im not dead, Bartlett-Hitchings said in the article. Maybe its to encourage people.

Labels: self-image_issues, overcoming_an_eating_disorder, overcoming bulimia, trauma

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In response to controversial ads in which already thin models were Photoshopped to ridiculous (many would say offensive) levels, documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts has called for a boycott of products manufactured and sold by Ralph Lauren.

Writer Greg Archer reported on the boycott proposal in a Dec. 7 Huffington Post article:

Not long after the brouhaha over Hamilton's image, Roberts was emailed another RL ad being used in Australia, which also featured a very thin looking woman. When a similar, third image, popped up, Roberts received an onslaught of emails from individuals fuming over the ads--they felt Lauren's apology didn't "mean anything" because he was still running ads similar to Hamilton's. ...

"They were telling me 'we're never buying anything Ralph Lauren,'" Roberts says of the people sending the emails. "It was so overwhelming, that I thought it--the boycott--was the right thing to do on the behalf of all these women that he is disrespecting by carrying on with that kind of advertising."

Roberts included all three images in his newsletter, which also included an open letter to Lauren, and sent it out to the more than 100,000 people on his email list.

Many experts have linked unrealistic media images with increases in poor body image, lower self esteem and eating disorders among girls and young women.

Labels: media_influences, self-image_issues

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In an effort to highlight how the degree to which some people with eating disorders have skewed views of their own bodies, the British news website MailOnline invited four women to describe how they see themselves.

The results, which were posted June 26, are stunning. The following is the account of Racheal Baughan, a 27-year-old author and entrepreneur who runs her own modeling agency:

In the same way someone who wants a sex change doesn't feel like they're in the right body, I don't either. But unlike them, I don't know what body I should be in.

I see my eyes as bulging, yet somehow also sunken with purple bags underneath. I hate my nose, and I also think the right-hand side of my face is different to the left. It makes me uncomfortable if friends even walk on that side of me - I have to switch places.

I see my lips as flat, and the top one doesn't match the lower lip. My neck is too long and makes me feel like a duck, my eyebrows are too high and in my mind's eye my skin is always covered with acne.

I think that body-image problems have been with me all my life. Even when I was four years old I was so shy. I remember being at a party when I was that age and looking around, thinking how I was different from the other children.

Baughan and the others who were featured in the MailOnline article show symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, a preoccupation with a minor or nonexistent body flaw. Many men and women who suffer from eating disorders are also afflicted with an unrealistic image of their own bodies.

Labels: self-esteem, body image, self-image_issues

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Many media images promote body dissatisfaction -- and may encourage the onset of eating disorders -- among boys, girls, men, and women. In order to offset these unhealthy influences and promote more productive self-image, a North Carolina health center is hosting a "Love Your Body" workshop at the end of July.

The June 18 edition of theAsheville Citizen-Times provided the following information about the event:

Join Aubrey Ray at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center July 29 to learn how to improve your body image, self-esteem, and overall health and well being. Ray will present "Love Your Body!" during the monthly Diabetes Support Group and Education Series. ...

Many things contribute to how a woman feels about her body. Peer pressure, family history, education, stage of life, ethnic, culture, and social status all play important roles in how people feel about how they look.

Improper balance can lead to problems such as eating disorders, which in turn can lead to problems like diabetes. Ray will offer tips for treating your body well and appreciating all its abilities and finer points.

The class will be held July 29, 4 pm, and is free to the public. The Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center is located in Ashville, North Carolina.

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues, education

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Monitoring one's weight and body shape can be part of a healthy diet and exercise plan -- but excessive self-monitoring may indicate the presence of a problem such as an eating disorder. The link between excessive self-checking and eating disorders was explored in a June 5 article on the Medical News Today website:

"Sometimes body and weight checking becomes second nature and many individuals with eating disorders don't even realize they're doing it," said Dena Cabrera, PsyD, psychologist at Remuda Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders. "Commonly, they check to feel for fatness, bones and any physical change in their body to subconsciously or consciously motivate their eating disorder behavior."

Many individuals with eating disorders weigh themselves at frequent intervals, sometimes many times a day. As a result they become obsessed with the daily weight fluctuations that are a normal part of the body and would otherwise pass unnoticed. The movements on the scale then determine their mood and eating patterns.

Body checking is influential in maintaining dissatisfaction with shape and appearance. Other common behaviors associated with body checking include: looking in the mirror (or at reflective surfaces); measuring body parts with tape measures or hands; pinching or touching body parts; assessing the tightness of particular items of clothing or accessories; looking down at one's body and touching collar bones to check for boniness.

Parents who notice that their children are engaging in excessive self-monitoring -- or who are showing other eating disorder symptoms -- should intervene immediately and make arrangements for their child to be evaluated by a health care professional.

Labels: signs_of_eating_disorders, self-image_issues, eating disorders

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Health advocates and cultural critics have long assailed the fashion industry for encouraging poor self-image among girls and young women (and, in turn, contributing to the rise in eating disorders) by promoting unhealthy and unrealistic body shapes.

According to a June 13 article by Will Pavia of the Britain's TimesOnline, these advocates recently learned that they have a surprising ally: the editor of the British version of Vogue,one of the world's leading fashion magazines:

Alexandra Shulman, one of the most important figures in the multi-billion-pound fashion industry, has taken on all the largest fashion houses in a strongly worded letter sent to scores of designers in Europe and America.

In a letter not intended for publication but seen by The Times, Shulman accuses designers of making magazines hire models with "jutting bones and no breasts or hips" by supplying them with "minuscule" garments for their photoshoots. Vogue is now frequently "retouching" photographs to make models look larger, she said.

Her intervention was hailed last night as a turning point in the debate over model size that has raged after the deaths of three models from complications relating to malnutrition, and the decision of leading fashion shows to ban size-zero models.

The "size zero" phenomenon has been blamed for furthering unrealistic body images, which many critics say leads to eating disorders among girls, young women, and increasing numbers of boys and young men.

Labels: self-esteem, fashion, self-image_issues

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One factor common among eating disorder sufferers is low self-esteem. An organization wanting to address the issue has chosen a curious name: Hey UGLY. UGLY stands for "Unique Gifted Lovable You."

They chose the name "UGLY" because it is one of the most negative words in our vocabulary. It is the word that tweens and teens use to describe others, and most significantly, themselves. (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer Blog)

The goal of "Hey UGLY" is to empower students, both boys and girls, to be part of the solution to the problem of low self-esteem and poor body image among teens and adolescents.

Labels: self-esteem, teenagers, self-image_issues

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Susie Orbach is reportedly the psychoanalyst who treated Princess Diana for her eating disorders. Confidentiality agreements prevent her from confirming that, but she has taken her years of experience treating numerous patients and put them into a book, Bodies, where she addresses damaging misconceptions about body image.

"The author of Fat is a Feminist Issue and a professor at the London School of Economics, Orbach... writes that 'the postmodern body is in crisis.'...what Orbach is attempting to draw attention to is the fact that we don't question where this massive discontent stems from and why the numbers are epidemic."

Halfway through her book, Orbach breaks away from her traditionally anonymous case studies on body image and begins to name names. Specifically, she takes a hard look at the tyranny of the fashion, celebrity, and diet industries that make millions of dollars by telling people they're not acceptable the way they are. Source: The Daily Beast

Labels: body image, self-image_issues

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The unrealistic standards of "beauty" that have been perpetuated by Hollywood and the media are part of what prompted Dove to create two programs: The Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) and the Campaign for Real Beauty.

The slogan of the Campaign for Real Beauty is "Imagine a World Where Beauty is a Source of Confidence, Not Anxiety."

"Through DSEF, Dove, along with the Girl Scouts of the USA, conduct self-esteem workshops and after school events for girls ages eight through 17. At these programs, girls participate in at least an hour-long educational program that teaches each of them about a positive self-image."

The workshops are partially funded through profits from the sale of Dove products. The Campaign for Real Beauty includes not only TV commercials, but on-line videos that show how images of models are manipulated to make them look "perfect".

The campaign has posted information, videos and more online at www.campaignforrealbeauty.com.

Labels: media_influences, self-esteem, self-image_issues

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Teens of normal weight who think they are too fat are less happy than are obese teens who think their weight is normal, according to a study of 7,000 German teenagers.

The researchers believe that anti-obesity campaigns may actually be harming normal weight teens by making them feel insecure and unhappy about their bodies, thus causing them to develop eating disorders.

About 55 percent of the girls and 36 percent of boys who were surveyed believed they were too fat, although only 18 percent were actually overweight. The teens of normal weight who thought they were too fat suffered from low self-esteem and an "enormously impaired quality of life," the study's authors wrote.

Among teens who were obese, 60.6 percent of girls and 32.2 percent of boys said they were "far too fat." Obese girls had the most health issues, such as elevations in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. The girls also had more self-esteem issues than the boys did, although obese boys had the fewest number of friends compared to all groups.

The teens in the study who actually were obese reported a higher quality of life than did those who mistakenly saw themselves as fat.

This study appeared in the June 6, 2008, edition of Deutsches Aerzteblatt International.

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues, body_image

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A study of 1,600 Scottish adolescent girls found that nearly half suffer from low self-esteem and think they are too fat. The University of Edinburgh study also concluded that four out of five girls do not exercise regularly because they are too embarrassed or lack confidence.

Girls' self-confidence levels tended to decrease between ages 11 and 16 years. Some of the Edinburgh researchers believe that girls are under too much pressure to emulate the "size zero" bodies of celebrities and prominent models

"What struck me is that girls report far lower levels of confidence and competence in physical activities than boys do," said Jo Inchley, assistant director of the University's Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit.

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues, confidence

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Joy Christiansen Erb is a photographer and installation artist whose latest project is now on display at the University of Rochester's (New York) Hartnett Gallery. Titled "Family Gathering: A Look into the World of Eating Disorders," the exhibit is intended to confront poor body image and related issues.

"The work examines the issues through the creation of 'a typical upper-middle class living room in the United States' within the gallery space. The installation will include, among other things, a Victorian sofa, an antique bookshelf and a wingback chair. Each piece of furniture has been adorned with photographic imagery and embroidered text culled from personal interviews between the artist, sufferers of eating disorders and their family members and friends."

The exhibit is open now and will remain open to the public through April 4, 2008. Read more at TheNewsStar.com.

Labels: self-image_issues, body_image, acceptance

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Paul Nyhan, writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, made a different kind of New Year's Resolution this year. Instead of committing to put a few extra dollars in the savings account or spend less time at the office, Nyhan is determined to help his now-2-year-old daughter prepare for the media and culture onslaught that can result in a negative body image.

"Today, involved dads are entering unfamiliar territory, such as body-image anxiety. They want to help, but don't always know how, said Harvard Medical University researcher Dr. Nancy Etcoff. When Etcoff gives a speech these days, dads ask a lot of the questions."

Most dads want to help their daughters have healthy self-images, but they don't know what to do or say. Experts suggest that dads encourage interests outside of fashion and media outlets. Quality time with daughters is also key to helping developing healthy self-esteem.

Animal assisted therapy, like the program for troubled teens at Aspen Ranch, help teenagers deal with a variety of emotions and issues.

Labels: self-image_issues, fathers, influences

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A study conducted recently in the UK determined that watching just 10 minutes of music videos with "scantily clad women" was enough to cause young women to feel dissatisfied with their own bodies. In the media, there's certainly no shortage of "ideal" bodies - both male and female, and since teens spend large portions of their time listening to music and watching videos, they're constantly inundated with these images. We could continue to fight against the media, but maybe there's a better approach.

"To date, despite significant efforts, we have not had demonstrable success in raising self-esteem, part of which is physical self-awareness. A more promising approach with demonstrable positive results is the teaching of coping skills - how to deal with the environment we find ourselves in, how to reduce self-blame when we do not match up with images thrust upon us, and how to be judicious in determining what is good and how that can be achieved."

Teens whose families are close and have open lines of communication, often handle on the media's portrayal of "the perfect body" better. Often, they also have a healthier self-image, and a better understanding and appreciation for who they are as individuals. Read more at TheAge.com.au.

Labels: media_influences, self-image_issues, body_image

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The messages given by parents and peers are strong influencers in a young girl's self-image. Over the years, studies have found that, while the media does exert influence, the opinions of parents and other adolescents also affect a girl's opinion of her appearance.

"Pike & Rodin (1991) found that mothers whose daughters were eating disordered were themselves more eating disorders, and thought that their daughters should lose more weight than the mothers of non-eating disordered girls."

Family support of weight acceptance and appearance has been reported as an important factor in a girl's overall self-acceptance and self-esteem.

Read more at About-Face.org.

Labels: media_influences, self-image_issues, parents

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During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week couple in February, a new novel about eating disorders went on sale. A Slice of Heaven was written by Sherryl Wood who, fortunately, has never suffered with an eating disorder, but learned to appreciate the complexities of eating disorders after speaking with specialists at The Childrens' Hospital in Denver.

"'This is not a problem to be ignored or wished away,' Woods said, 'especially with younger and younger girls developing self-image issues and resolving them with extreme eating behaviors such as anorexia or bulimia.'"

Go online to read more about Wood's book and visit the National Eating Disorders Awareness website for more information on symptoms, warning signs, consequences and treatment options.

Labels: awareness, self-image_issues, children

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The human brain may perceive the human body as shorter and fatter than it actually is. This perception may be the reason that people suffering from eating disorders do not see themselves as "starvation thin," according to a new study from University College London.

• Dr. Matthew Longo, of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, asked people to put their left hands under a cover, and then locate their knuckles and fingertips.
• Participants estimated that their hands were about 66 percent wider and 33 percent shorter than they actually were.
• Dr. Longo believes that such misperceptions might apply to other parts of the body.

"Our participants were very accurate in picking out a photo of their own hand from a set of photos with various distortions of hand shape," said Dr. Longo. "There is clearly a conscious visual image of the body, but that visual image seems not to be used for position sense."

"Position sense" is the ability to know where all parts of your body are in space even when your eyes are closed.

"These findings may be relevant to psychiatric conditions involving body image such as anorexia nervosa, as there may be a general bias toward perceiving the body to be wider than it is," said Dr. Longo.

Therapists who treat anorexia and other eating disorders often report how clients perceive themselves to be overweight even when they are at a point of dangerous starvation.

Dr. Longo's study, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
 

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Young people who have distorted body images of themselves think of themselves as overweight and ugly, even while they are dieting down to starvation levels.

• Body image distortion can start in the grade school years; however, dieting to lose weight usually begins in the preteen years.
• By high school, about 12 percent of all students are using extreme weight control measures such as fasting, laxatives, vomiting after overeating, and over-exercising.
• About 2 percent have full-fledged eating disorders, and these are related to body image distortion.

Dr. Janet Liechty, a professor at the University of Illinois, believes that parents and healthcare professionals should address the issue of distorted body images. Her study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health concluded that addressing this issue would be the best way to "catch" children with eating disorders at the earliest possible ages.

Pediatrician Paul Aschinberg agrees.

"We are bombarded every day with images of what we're supposed to think is an ideal body type, and that's not always healthy or realistic. When young people are repeatedly exposed to these images, the image in their brain is that their body is different and not good. They begin to think they are overweight when they are not," he said.

"The goal should be on developing healthy eating habits, not on achieving a certain number on the scale," Aschinberg added. "This is something parents should teach children before there is a problem, before they are too skinny or too fat."
 

Labels: body image, self-image_issues

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Pop culture makes a strong connection between appearance and value. If you’re attractive, you’re valuable. If you’re unattractive, you’re not. Pop culture also sets very clear (and often unattainable) rules about what “attractive” is.

In a July 7 article in the Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle, Wanda Repke advised parents to take steps to lessen the impact of these unrealisitic cultural value judgments on their children's health and self-image:

"While it's fashionable to blame the media for these self-defeating attitudes, parents often contribute as well. When was the last time you said something positive or negative about your own body? Have you said something negative a lot more recently than you said something positive? ...

To begin to change your family's body image, start with yourself. Focus on what your body does well, not where it is deficient. Instead of always saying bad things about your body, make positive statements such as, "my body feels great after taking a walk" or "my skin looks so much better when I get enough sleep."
 

 

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues, parents

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment