Written by: Jubin Maharjan - 22026, Grade XII
Posted on: 30 March, 2022
Body image is a perspective through which a person sees his or her body. The way a person sees their body can have a huge impact on their confidence and how they feel about themselves. People have different concerns, thoughts regarding their body parts ranging from weight, shape, size of their body, their hair, and other different body parts. A person can have both positive and negative thoughts about their body image.
Negative body image means a person has a negative mindset about their body and does not feel happy about how they look. A person who has a negative concept about their body suffers from low self-esteem and lack of confidence. A lot of people who have a negative body image about themselves tend to change their physical appearance to look better. In most cases it works but for some people the condition might not apply, they still aren’t happy with their bodies and they keep trying to change their appearance. This has a high chance of hampering their body and high risks of disorders. People try to achieve a perfect body which in reality cannot be achieved. People need to understand a healthy way of trying to change their appearance and trying to change their physical appearance in an unhealthy way to achieve that delusional concept of the perfect body. Most people get their concept of the perfect body from social media but most of the time is all fake.
On the other hand, positive body image means having a positive mindset about one's body and appreciating one’s appearance. A person with a positive body image about themselves has higher self-esteem and confidence. They do not feel insecure about their body and feel comfortable in their own skin and their own body. They also do not care about how other people think about their appearance.
The problem of body image is seen mostly among teenagers going through puberty. They feel insecure about their own body because of how society and social media advertise the perfect body. And those teenagers try to achieve that concept of the perfect body but cannot achieve those high body standards. This makes them more insecure about their body and makes them ashamed of their own body. This negative concept of one’s body image can make a person suffer from anxiety, depression and even lead to suicidal thoughts.
Every person has their own unique physical appearance and traits. They should learn to appreciate their body and stop being influenced by social media on how they see their body. If a person wants to keep their body healthy, they should just try to eat healthily and practice a healthier lifestyle.
