Eating Disorders and Body Image 6 th Grade

Body Image Body Image is the mental picture you have of your body. It includes: – Attitudes and feelings about how you look and how you think other people see you. – How you see yourself- both in the mirror and in your mind – How you feel about your body

People with a Healthy Body Image Accept bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Know there are good things about their bodies. Appreciate their natural shape Are comfortable with their bodies. Are critical of the “ideal” body seen in the media. Understand that a person’s physical appearance is only a part of who they are.

People with UNHEALTHY body image: May think a lot about how they see themselves or how they think others see them May be uncomfortable with their bodies Have a distorted perception of their shape and may see their body differently than it actually is. May see their size or shape as a sign of personal failure.

Body image is influenced by many things including: Family, friends, society, media, etc Media shows people in ways that set impossible standards Tricks like makeup, photoshop, and airbrushing make celebrities seem more flawless than they are!

Eating Disorders Often a coping strategy for other problems Usually characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight as well as emotional, social, and physical difficulties. Examples: – Anorexia (intake few calories) – Bulimia (eat and purge/vomit)

Body Image statistics 45% of healthy weight women and 23% of healthy weight men describe themselves as overweight 50% of 3 rd -6 th graders indicate that they want to be thinner The average woman’s height is 5’4” and she weighs 144 pounds….the average model is 5’11’ and weighs 117 pounds

Body Image Statistics continued Eating disorders are dangerous and can lead to death Most models are thinner than 98% of American women 4 out of 5 children at age 10 are afraid of being fat