Young not happy with their bodies

According to a BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat and 1xtra survey, young people are 'hung up on their bodies'. They say "some 51% of young women would have surgery to improve their looks and a third of those who are a size 12 think they are overweight."

Of the 25,000 people questioned, mostly aged 17 to 34, on how they felt about their bodies, almost half the women surveyed said they had skipped a meal to lose weight, while 8% had made themselves sick. Eating disorder experts said it was "sad but not surprising" that young people felt and acted in such ways.

Interestingly however, "given the choice of ultra-skinny, thin and curvaceous," said researchers, "both men and women rated a curvy Martine McCutcheon as having the best body."

"Half of the women questioned said there was "lots they would change" about their bodies - and more than 10% "hated" what they looked like," the survey also revealed.

Deanne Jade, a psychologist specialising in eating and body image issues, thought the problems started with the emergence of thin models in the 1960s. "I think that was the start of a progression towards increasingly thinner role models. Marilyn Monroe would be trying to diet herself to a size zero if she was on the cinema screen now, which is such a shame."

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In all the recent debate about eating disorders and poor body image/self-esteem, it seems to me the real disease - the disease of thinking - is never mentioned.

Isn't it the vicious cycle of concern-worry-anxiety (and then a complex of behavioural effects) the real culprit in this and all psychologically-based diseases and dysfunctions?

But given that we teach children how to worry from an early age and set a very bad example as anxious, fretting adults - it's no wonder young people feel so bad, so lost and appear so disconnected from the plain old glory of being alive (in a truly miraculous body)...

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Full story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6376367.stm

Last edited: 20-02-2007 02:14:17 PM

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Hi Carl, and Jayne and all,

Interestingly I watched the news and listened to the story with interest, remembering our recent posts regarding self esteem and womens lack of confidence and body image issues. I dont see it as particularly a gender thing, although I do see more pressure on women to be "beautiful"

I agree Carl that the mind is where it starts, what we are talking about is a separation from self and from reality, we are what we are, and what we are is more than the phsyical body. The problem is both personal and global. Despite the emergence of quantum physics, we still place value in what is "out there" and on what we can "see". This is simply a reflection of the mind/body/spirit split that takes place on both personal and collective level.

I am really interested in the mental and emotional fasting i.e; simply observing the thoughts and emotions as they arise, and not buying into them, whether they are mine or others, for we are more than our thoughts, more than our feelings, and more than our bodies. That is not to say that we should transcend them or deny them, simply to accept them for what they are, just another story, and we can choose to let go of the story and recognise our being ness and our one ness. When we can forgive ourselves our sins, our imperfections, as we see them, we can be in at one ment. In the NOW.

In Love
Kim xx

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Hi Kim...( its great to see you back on the forum by the way)

The way you expressed the watching of the emotions and acceptance of the self in order to be able to let go ,is to me is exactly where its at.

It all comes down to fear of change and control; both fear of being and not being, and although the skinny model thing is a factor and just another pressure in how we're supposed to be to be 'happy' alongside celebrity culture I don't see it as the core issue.
Its interesting that the onset of the eating disorders - according to the article, start at age 14 to 25, and lists all the pressures on young people such as their bodies changing (growing up) exams, parental & peer pressure and fitting in etc.
Virtually the only thing they can feel in control of is what they decide to put into their mouths.
By the way the incidence of anorexia is nearly as bad in young boys as it is in girls nowadays - I know of two just now- my friends 13 year old son , and a clients teenage son as well.
This vicious cycle of eating/not eating sets up negative patterns that can be very hard to break and can carry on for many years as a way of coping with ongoing changes in thier lives.

Last edited: 21-02-2007 05:20:09 PM

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I think there is a tendency to see this issue at the 'individual' and the 'Psychological 'level when in essence this starts in the 'etheric' field of the 'social' .

Maybe we focus at those levels because we feel we are empowered only at the level of 'i'or 'me'...but at the social..we are powerless.

I fail to see how we can effectively heal if this is not confronted....otherwise we are merely patching with plasters as we go.

This is not to say by the way that the' I ' 'me ' is not important.But we have to confront where it starts and the mechanisms and interest which induce it....and these are not reduceable to psychologisms.nor to Mum and Dad.

Last edited: 21-02-2007 05:49:55 PM

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Hi, I'm new to this forum having just joined holistic local, thanks Carl for contacting me by the way.

I work as an eating disorder therapist, having recovered from anorexia/bulimia 18 years ago. The mindset of this illness is so complex, yes it's external factors often several, that trigger the onset and then the sufferer is compelled to carry out destructive behaviours. It's relentless, early detection is so important.

You can seperate yourself from this mindset and challenge the negative thinking, it's a process I went through and now pass this on through my work. Recovery is about addressing the mindset and your perception of 'self' on many levels, at least that is my experience.

Jayne x

Last edited: 25-04-2007 08:32:22 AM

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Effectively, it is our self esteem that is attacked and we are unable to deal with it sufficiently [ie the negative thinking-feeling-behaviour] that it then becomes a mental illness.

Once again, we are back to values and how we value ourselves [or not as the case appears to be] and how others value us that we learn very abusive coping mechanisms. It takes us a long time to get out and away from the treacle chaos.

If we valued the nurturing of our children and ourselves on a far greater scale, we surely would not have the level of these problems.

"Remember how incredible you are!"

Last edited: 25-04-2007 07:52:40 PM

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