By Roshell I. Gatmaitan — RTU PSA Writer
“In pursuit of maintaining a certain type of body image, we forgot to take care of our body ideally.” – Kyle Belvis
As the month of April waved hello, we have also welcomed the dry season in the Philippines. Most Filipinos, if not all, have been on a beach getaway. Either to take their attention off of their towering workload, or simply spend time with family and/or friends while beating the summer heat. Photos of people flaunting their bodies surfaced on social media as a cue that summer has indeed started. The question is, how do they perceive themselves underneath those pictures on social media?
According to Barlow (2021), more than 90% of severe eating disorder cases are from young females who live in a socially competitive environment. Chief characteristics of those eating disorders are also said to be their drive to be thin. There are three common conditions under the disorder; mainly, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. These are said to stem mainly from sociocultural rather than biological and psychological factors. In addition to this, it is also observed that there is a positive correlation between high-risk eating behavior and body image. Meaning to say, those people who have a higher level of body shape concerns and higher degree of body image dissatisfaction are seen as having higher risk of developing unhealthy eating behaviors. (Kapoor et al., 2022)
Ms. Kyle Belvis, a 4th year BS Psychology student at RTU-Boni Campus, emphasizes ways on how we can prevent this and instead have a healthy body image. She mentioned that cognitive reframing and body gratitude are the two most important activities that we must do as we move towards loving and appreciating our bodies. Shifting our perspective on a positive light may help us alter the way we think, feel, and behave in a certain situation. Hence the term, cognitive reframing, meaning looking at a situation or a person in a different perspective to halt the negative train of thought. Body gratitude, on the other hand, refers to the way we acknowledge and appreciate what our body is doing for us. Practicing body gratitude at least once a day can somehow improve one’s negative body image. Ms. Kyle mentioned a few examples basing on her own experience:
“I feel thankful for my feet kasi without my feet, I wouldn’t be able to stand. I feel grateful for my stomach kasi it digests the food I take. I feel grateful for my mouth kasi [without it] I wouldn’t be able to communicate with other people. All the things that I have in my body – I feel grateful for them, because it helps me to function regularly and normally. I could do the things that I wanted to do. In the same way, I could help other people.”
As for her final message to the female youth, she imparts that being beautiful comes with a responsibility. A woman who feels good about herself can be a good thing. However, she must not use her physical attributes to belittle or make someone else feel inferior about themselves. We need to work on the fact that our flaws aren't associated with our imperfections, especially in defining what makes us beautiful. Perhaps, it is time to start embracing the traits that come naturally to us and give value to what sets us apart from others. Aside from this, being an advocate for body positivity, especially if someone is in the field of Psychology, is essential to spread awareness globally. She also added, “Even the term imperfect implies that you’re perfect. Your flaws are not imperfections. It is what makes you beautiful from other people. What makes you beautiful is how you use these things attributed to you in a positive manner.”
References:
Barlow, D. H., Durand, V. M., Lalumiere, M. L., & Hofmann, S. G. (2021). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Nelson Education Ltd.
Kapoor, A., Upadhyay, M. K., & Saini, N. K. (2022, March 23). Relationship of eating behavior
and self-esteem with body image perception and other factors among female college
students of University of Delhi. Journal of education and health promotion. Retrieved
April 29, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9093661/#:~:
text=A%20positive%20correlation%20between%20high,esteem%20and%20body%sha
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Muhlheim, L. (2023, January 23). Body image and eating disorders. Verywell Mind.
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