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You are more than your body

  • Writer: Sophie Baird
    Sophie Baird
  • Aug 15, 2020
  • 3 min read

Updated: Sep 11, 2020

73% of Australians wish they could change the way they look (Butterfly Foundation, 2017). Let that simmer for a second.

Think of your best friend. Think of your mother. Think of your sibling.

Would you change the way they looked? Probably not, because you love them for their personality, their quirks and the quality time you spend together… right?

So why do 73% of us want to change the way we look if no one else would?

Although I know negative body image and self-esteem issues are common, I didn’t know that 53% of people rarely or never speak positively about their appearance, and that more than 1 in 3 Australians are unhappy with the way they look (Butterfly Foundation, 2017). I was deeply shocked, so I reached out to Sarah McMahon, a psychologist and director at BodyMatters Australasia. BodyMatters provide counselling and treatment services for those struggling with body image and relationships around food and exercise.

Sarah enforced that body image is not what we look like, but how we feel about what we think we look like. Read that again.

“From the moment we are born, we have been exposed to the ‘drip-drip-drip’ effect of toxic messages that tell us our appearance is not enough,” Sarah said.

Although many people experience body shame from as early as preschool, teenagers tend to suffer the most due to uncontrollable physical changes and individualisation from their parents, which makes them more susceptible to their peers’ opinions.

“Teenagers of today are exposed to so many more challenges, particularly social media because it trains us to ‘see’ ourselves from the outside in, rather than live from the inside out,” Sarah said.

“It has created the ability to easily curate an online presence and appearance that differs from reality constructed reality. It manipulates and blurs the boundaries of what is actually real,” Sarah said.

A report by the Park Nicollet Melrose Centre in 2014 reveals more scary statistics.

Over 80% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. 78% of 17-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies. Over 50% of teen girls and 30% of teen boys use unhealthy weight control behaviours (EG. skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives).

You’d assume a 10-year-old’s highest concern would be whether they’re allowed to have a sleepover on Friday night. Scary, right?

So, what can we do to combat these negative thoughts?

“Overcoming negative body image is not just about challenging how we feel about our bodies, it is about knowing we are more than our bodies. Our value is birthright and based on so much more than simply looking good,” Sarah said.

“One thing that can be really helpful is engaging in cognitive dissonance, which is to surround ourselves in opportunities to challenge these toxic messages,” Sarah said.

Our physical bodies are just that – physical vessels. Memories that make you smile and laugh are usually related to human connection and experience, not physical appearance. Acknowledging and releasing superficial, limiting beliefs is not easy. It takes time. It takes work. It takes patience.

Change comes from the inside and will show on the outside. People like Sarah are here to help.

To contact the BodyMatters team, visit their website https://bodymatters.com.au/


Some inspiring podcasts on the topic of body confidence/image:

  • BOBO AND FLEX – Body Image: Self-Loathing, Anti-Blackness, Body Positivity & Is Beauty for Everyone?

  • Do You F*****g Mind? – Episode 9. Straight Up Self Love

  • Juice by SoBa – Episode 12. Jacqui Hunt

  • The Rise & Conquer Podcast – Episode 97. Healthychick101//being ‘more than just your body,’ living w/ lipedema & launching her new activewear brand!

  • KIC Pod – Episode 22. Katie Lolas: Embracing Who you Truly Are

  • KIC Pod – Episode 39. Learning to Love Yourself

  • KIC Pod – Episode 49. Olivia Molly Rogers – Unleashing Confidence and Resilience

Image credit: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/290622982175766401/?nic_v2=1a6MB51U7

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