You, Your Body, Your Self You, Your Body, Your Self

Gail B. Slap, MD, MSDivision of Adolescent Medicine

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

What is body image? What is body image?

Body Image is…Body Image is…

……what you see when you look in the mirror.what you see when you look in the mirror.

……what you think others see when they look at what you think others see when they look at you. you.

……how you feel about the way your body works.how you feel about the way your body works.

……how comfortable you feel living in your body.how comfortable you feel living in your body.

What is self image? What is self image?

Self Image is…Self Image is…

……how you feel about the person that is you - how you feel about the person that is you - your body, actions, plans, beliefs, potential… your body, actions, plans, beliefs, potential…

……how you sum up all your parts - the good how you sum up all your parts - the good and not so good, what you do and don’t do, and not so good, what you do and don’t do, your strengths and weaknesses…your strengths and weaknesses…

……more than body image. You can dislike more than body image. You can dislike some things about your body and still have some things about your body and still have a positive self image.a positive self image.

Which is Which?Which is Which?

I am a good person. I like the way I am a good person. I like the way I look, but I do wish I were taller.I look, but I do wish I were taller.

My legs are too short. I always My legs are too short. I always feel ugly because of my legs.feel ugly because of my legs.

I gained so much weight this I gained so much weight this summer. I hate the way I look, summer. I hate the way I look, and I hate everything about me. and I hate everything about me.

(-) body image(-) body image

(+) body (+) body imageimage

(-) self image(-) self image

(+) self image(+) self image

A Positive Body Image is…A Positive Body Image is…

...seeing your body as it really is, with ...seeing your body as it really is, with all its strengths and limitations.all its strengths and limitations.

……understanding what you can safely understanding what you can safely change about your body and accepting change about your body and accepting what you can’t change.what you can’t change.

...respecting and protecting yourself....respecting and protecting yourself.

A Positive Self-Image is…A Positive Self-Image is…

……liking who you are and who you can liking who you are and who you can be.be.

……knowing you are unique because of knowing you are unique because of all your parts together.all your parts together.

……holding yourself in high esteem.holding yourself in high esteem.

Try This…Try This…

Think about a person that you admire Think about a person that you admire

a great deal. What do you like the a great deal. What do you like the

most about that person? What are the most about that person? What are the

characteristics that come to mind characteristics that come to mind

when you think about that person?when you think about that person?

Body- and Self-Image Traps Body- and Self-Image Traps

IgnoranceIgnorance

TeasingTeasing

BullyingBullying

CliquesCliques

MediaMedia

Super-heroesSuper-heroes

Fitness frenzyFitness frenzy

Family pressureFamily pressure

DepressionDepression

Eating disordersEating disorders

IgnoranceIgnorance

FalseFalse Overweight people are in terrible Overweight people are in terrible shape and are heart attacks shape and are heart attacks

or or strokes waiting to strokes waiting to happen.happen.

TrueTrue Overweight people are often Overweight people are often fit fit and athletic. Their lives and athletic. Their lives can be can be long, long, healthy, healthy, and happy.and happy.

ExamplesExamplesTeasing, Bullying, CliquesTeasing, Bullying, Cliques

A 2A 2ndnd grade girl refuses to have lunch at school grade girl refuses to have lunch at school because classmates tell her she is too fat to because classmates tell her she is too fat to eat.eat.

An “A” student is called a geek and threatened An “A” student is called a geek and threatened by older students who insist that he give them by older students who insist that he give them the answers to a take-home math test.the answers to a take-home math test.

A 7A 7thth grade girl is not invited to parties grade girl is not invited to parties because she doesn’t have a boyfriend. because she doesn’t have a boyfriend.

Media TrendsMedia Trends……and what they do to real people…and what they do to real people…

DecadeDecade Female BeautyFemale Beauty

1910s1910s curves and corsetscurves and corsets

1920s1920s no curves or corsets (flapper)no curves or corsets (flapper)

1950s1950s full-figure (Marilyn Monroe)full-figure (Marilyn Monroe)

1960s1960s no figure (Twiggy)no figure (Twiggy)

1980s1980s strong and athletic strong and athletic

1990s1990s waif-like & fragile (Kate Moss)waif-like & fragile (Kate Moss)

What About Males? What About Males?

45% of adult men in the U.S. are 45% of adult men in the U.S. are unhappy with their bodies.unhappy with their bodies.

20% of elite male college athletes 20% of elite male college athletes believe they aren’t muscular enough.believe they aren’t muscular enough.

Obsessive weight training has increased Obsessive weight training has increased dramatically among adolescent males dramatically among adolescent males over the past 5 years. over the past 5 years.

GI Joe FiguresGI Joe Figures

1964 1974 1994 1998

1998 Boy Super-Heroes1998 Boy Super-Heroes

GoldGold Ahmed Iron Batman WolverineAhmed Iron Batman Wolverine Ranger Johnson Man Ranger Johnson Man

Fitness FrenzyFitness Frenzy

Obsessive exercise in pursuit of ever-better Obsessive exercise in pursuit of ever-better endurance, muscles, weight, appearanceendurance, muscles, weight, appearance

Use of performance enhancing drugsUse of performance enhancing drugs

Adverse effects on physical and mental healthAdverse effects on physical and mental health

What are Eating Disorders?What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are disturbances in Eating disorders are disturbances in

eating behavior that endanger physical eating behavior that endanger physical

and mental health. Examples include and mental health. Examples include

anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Obesity is Obesity is NOTNOT an eating disorder since an eating disorder since

many people who are obese do not many people who are obese do not

have disturbances in their eating have disturbances in their eating

behavior. behavior.

Anorexia NervosaAnorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is the refusal Anorexia nervosa is the refusal

to maintain weight at a healthy to maintain weight at a healthy

level for one’s height, along with level for one’s height, along with

an intense fear of becoming fat. an intense fear of becoming fat.

Bulimia NervosaBulimia Nervosa

Bulimia is uncontrolled episodes of Bulimia is uncontrolled episodes of

over-eating, lasting 30 min to 2 hrs, over-eating, lasting 30 min to 2 hrs,

followed by self-induced vomiting, followed by self-induced vomiting,

laxatives, fasting, or excessive laxatives, fasting, or excessive

exercise. The episodes occur at least exercise. The episodes occur at least

twice weekly for 12 weeks and may twice weekly for 12 weeks and may

occur one to many times daily.occur one to many times daily.

Are Eating Disorders Are Eating Disorders Dangerous?Dangerous?

Yes. All eating disorders can be fatal. The Yes. All eating disorders can be fatal. The most common reasons for death are most common reasons for death are suicide and irregular heart rhythm. suicide and irregular heart rhythm.

All eating disorders affect energy, All eating disorders affect energy, emotions, self-image, judgment, and emotions, self-image, judgment, and concentration. concentration.

All eating disorders affect social function, All eating disorders affect social function, such as relationships with family and such as relationships with family and friends. friends.

What Should You Do…What Should You Do…

……if you think a friend has an eating disorder, if you think a friend has an eating disorder, or is exercising too much, or has a low self-or is exercising too much, or has a low self-image, or is depressed…image, or is depressed…

Listen to your intuition.Listen to your intuition.

Talk to your friend.Talk to your friend.

Tell an adult who can Tell an adult who can help.help.