Self esteem key to body image

Staying Fit, by Anya Petersen-Frey

Do you hate the way you look most of the time? Or maybe wish you could change just this one thing?

In a society struggling with obesity, there is still an obsession with weight control and thinness. Women as well as men strive to find satisfaction with themselves and their bodies. Health Canada defines body image as "the picture an individual has of his or her body, what it looks like in the mirror, and what he or she thinks it looks like to others."

According to Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Inc., body image also includes "how you feel in your body, not just about your body." People with a positive body image feel comfortable and confident in their body.

Childhood messages about our bodies often form the foundation for future body image, but the society we live in shapes our attitudes of inadequacy. Many people struggle for beauty and acceptance. Even athletes are not immune. The athlete sometimes has an unreasonable image of how he or she should look to be the "perfect" star. Alongside parents and peers, the mass media and our prevailing cultural views are a pervasive influence on body image and self-esteem. Women and girls are especially susceptible to the images that have been projected by western culture and promoted as standards for fashion and sophistication. Since the 1960s, idealized models of beauty have been waif-like women and muscle bound, athletic men.

At any age and activity level, body image becomes a part of determining our own abilities, building self-esteem and confidence. Lack of a positive body image is directly linked to self-destructive behaviors that can lead to eating disorders, alcoholism or depression. The diet and beauty industries thrive off our fears of fat and unattractiveness.

The message children begin to absorb is that how we look is more important than who we are. The key to developing a positive body-image, in conjunction with a healthy self-esteem, is to develop a sense of uniqueness and a sense of power.

Sense of uniqueness is the ability to acknowledge and respect the characteristics that make us special and different. Sense of power relates to believing in our competence and ability to influence circumstances. It enables us to take charge of the important things in life and to make the desired choices and changes. Empowerment can be encouraged at a young age by allowing children to make decisions, take responsibility for their actions and to make choices regarding some of their circumstances.

One reason people watching is so interesting is because every person is so different from the next. Everyone displays some imperfection whether he or she is too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, too hairy or too something else -- or just not enough of something. While there may be things we cannot change, we can use our sense of power to make changes that are possible and not obsess about the rest. Accepting ourselves is a lot more satisfying and wastes less energy than focusing on things that cannot be changed. Let us enjoy who we are, treasuring our strengths and concentrating on the things we do well.

Anya Petersen-Frey is a local fitness instructor.