People all over the world struggle with issues, surrounding body image. Always a concern, for young girls, the problem is getting worse due to media image bombardment. Constant exposure to unrealistic standards of perfection. Computer enhanced imagery, impossible to achieve airbrushed perfection, can make women, and even men, of all ages feel uncomfortable about their own lack of perfection and this state can occur anywhere in the world, where there is access to such imagery. Frighteningly, body dissatisfaction can start young, with nearly half of very young primary grade girls expressing a desire to be thinner. Anxiousness about one’s body can lead to mental health concerns of a serious nature, including depression and eating disorders that can spiral and be very difficult to overcome. Initial identification of the problem, by verifying the symptoms, is key to overcoming body-image induced anxiety and its attendant problems.
Key Points:
- 1Sadly, negative body image is becoming more and more prevalent and starting at younger ages. Studies have shown that over 40 percent of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner [1], and over 80 percent of ten year olds are afraid of being fat [2].
- 2Body dissatisfaction, especially at this early age, can lead to more complex issues, including mental health problems like eating disorders, mood disorders, and/or personality disorders.
- 3Know the signs that more support is needed for your own mental health. If your body image struggles have negatively impacted you life to the point that you are unable to carry out with normal life and activities, this is a red flag that should not be ignored.
Sadly, negative body image is becoming more and more prevalent and starting at younger ages. Studies have shown that over 40 percent of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner [1], and over 80 percent of ten year olds are afraid of being fat [2].
Read the full article at: https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/body-image-mental-health
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