How many times did it happen to you? Passing by a mirror and saying mean things to yourself. Things that will not lift your spirits up but are meant to criticize you, to bring you down. “OMG! Look at your puffy eyes, your skin looks disgusting, so many pimples! Your hair is a mess, your teeth are becoming yellow, you look awful in these clothes, you are too fat or too skinny…” The list is too long, unfortunatelly! We all have done it to ourselves. Everyone has had these self-judgmental or selfdoubting appearance critiques. Body image issues are often discussed as exclusively affecting women, but men are also insecure about their looks. So, why do we do it? Can we stop?
First, there's nothing wrong in wanting to look good and being healthy for oneself, but it's so important to draw the line and remember that nobody's self worth comes from how they lookortheperfect make-uporbeautifulhairorhighfashionclothes.Itcomes fromdeep within and your heart and soul can't be seen.
Second, we have to understand that no one is entirely happy with the way they look. Even the most confident person will be insecure and have his doubts about a choice he has made. Then, you have to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Of course, there are some standards and versions of what society considers to be beautiful, which is completely ridiculous. No one is perfect! We don`t have a perfect body or face and we don`t need to always look good.
Perception of beauty might be changing, but the pressure is still relentless. The reality is that expectations for female appearance have never been higher. The standard right now is a dangerous ideal, trying to achieve perfection, in particular when it comes to women. And, we have mass media to blame for that.
Young girls today are bullied by virtually manipulated images of women on TV, social media, magazines, and advertising. Even when we know that what we see is a carefully chosen, heavily edited, and filtered version of reality, that doesn’t make less important the impact these images have on our perception of ourselves and our self-
esteem. And beauty companies make a nice profit off of our pursuit of beauty, when people start spending time in front of a mirror and money to buy beauty products. The pressure to conform to this high standard can have serious implications with psychosocial consequences, such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, phobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and diminished quality of life.
Maybe it’s time we stopped striving for something else and started celebrating what we have now. That is why we need a little push or put some effort into self-care to achieve confidence. We can do some simple things:
1. Be thankful for what you have write notes to yourself and put them on your mirror.
2. Feel the contentment in your life take joy and satisfaction from everyhing you do, no matter what the circumstances.
3. Don’t compare your life to anyone`s keep in mind that social media doesn’t always reflect reality. Stop trying to keep up with what others are doing because that is ruining not only our mental health, but our financial security as well. The more we compare ourselves to others, the worse we feel about ourselves.
4. Focus on your strengths always remember your strengths, talents and accomplishments in a humble way.
5. Be happy for other people`s accomplishments take part, with an open heart, in their enthusiasm. Don`t turn everything back to yourself!
6. Learn to compete with yourself instead of others focus on your own goals. Keep a journal for clarity and perspective!
7. Mind your time spent on social media protect yourself! Comparison through social media can have a massive effect on our mental well being. There's a lot of fakery and bad advice on social media, so make sure to follow that type of user who can build you up. Unfollow any accounts that tend to make you feel bad about yourself. Scroll for 30 minutes, at most. Turn off your phone when you’re having dinner with your family and friends. If you are bored, uncomfortable or seeking affirmation, try other things to do to feel better.
It’s impossible to be happy with your own life if you’re always looking over the fence, at what someone else has. So, spend time and energy focusing on how blessed you are. Look
at your family, your friends, your home, your health, and all the things in your life that really matter and think that someone else might be jealous of what you have. Count your blessings and just be happy!
Too much comparison leads to unhappiness and low self esteem. We become frustrated with ourselves for "not being good enough," or angry with others. And then, we might take into consideration other ways to change our appearance. Some people have done them more than others and the final decision is yours, but remember that the way you look has shaped who you are.
One thing that we can do, the most drastic one, is cosmetic surgery. Thanks to advanced technology and medicine we can fix that part of ourselves that we don’t like with a procedure. We don’t have high cheekbones, long shiny hair, poreless skin, cat like eyes with impossibly long lashes, plump lips, refined nose, big eyes, defined jawline, long legs, big bum but tiny waist? Donotworry! Ifwe listentoeverysingletoxicbeautyadvicethatnormalizesunrealistic beauty standards, promotes harmful beauty practices (like cosmetic surgery), and suggests that the key to building self esteem is physical 'perfection', and we are willing to spend a lot of money on cosmetic surgeries, beauty procedures, makeup, diet supplements, and exercise gear to help us achieve that, we are a step closer to our dream! But there are serious psychological issues that we have to deal with when it comes to this type of change. What we can do instead, is something non invasive. The handiest thing we can do is changing our diet. This could affect the way you look. They say that we are what we eat. And it is true. For instance, eating high amounts of sugar is likely to make your skin look greasy. If you want clear skin, you should cut back the level of sugar you eat and drink more water. Drinking water washes out your skin and cleans your pores. Another example is chewing on celery. Doing so, it will soak up the fluid underneath your eyes. So, eating a diet filled with the right nutrients and minerals may help your body look great. Try to cut out the junk food, the rubbish and you will look far better than before. This isn’t about losing weight. It’s about keeping your skin fresh and your body healthy. Include an exercise routine in your life, the one that goes well with your healthy eating plan. Many experts believe that seven minutes of exercise is all you need as long as you are pushing yourself. Make this a lifestyle choice, not a temporary thing.
Another thing that you can do is control your stress level and the effects of stress which can have a negative impact on our appearance. Get a good night’s sleep and time to your body to rest and rejuvenate. And think of some activities that will help you reduce the stress in your life, such as meditating and focusing on our breathing. And, no matter your choices, do not, under no circumstances, allow others to make you feel bad about the food you choose to eat. You choose! This is called food bullying and it is not okay to shame, judge, or taunt others about their farming or eating choices.
In the food business, there are a lot of bad behaviours, deceptive labels and half truths marketing. Assuming you are a better person because you bought the “right label” of food is no different than bullying someone at school for not wearing the “right brand” of clothing.
If your food choices has changed depending on what you read on the labels, you are being bullied. If somebody is telling you that you are buying/eating incorrectly because you don’t eat vegan or organic, you are being bullied. If someone is making you feel bad about your eating choices without knowing the reason behind them, you are being bullied. They are your choices, your rules. The comments might range from funny and ridiculous to mean. “Are you really trying to get smaller?” “Just eat one bite; it won’t kill you!” “Are you anorexic?” Your group of people includes meat eaters, vegans, vegetarians, or gluten free. In order to feel comfortable, we need to learn to accommodate each other’s eating habits without drama. Food should be about celebration, tradition and nutrition.
If you prefer to buy organic food and you can afford it, fine. But, saying bad things about nonorganic fruits and vegetables, and judging the people who buy them and the farmers who growthem,isbullying.Atthesametime,choosingnottobuyor groworganicfoodandjudging those who do is also bullying. It’s a two way street. Because of the many choices consumers have to make when they walk into a supermarket, they may be bullied. For instance, while some consumers maybuy regular cow's milk, a different customer may wish topurchase a non dairy almond beverage.
Food bullying often occurs in the comments of social media posts, too. There are people with many followers telling others not to consume a certain product because they deem to be “toxic” or “harmful”. They might be dietitians, doctors, teachers, chefs and fitness instructors to celebrities, friends, activists, social media influencers or journalists. They may
or may not have the science to back up what they are saying, but they might have a huge paycheck in their hands.
We sometimes hear comments from people around us about what’s on our plates. We often smile, or mention our food allergies, or give a slight explanation for why we eat what we eat, and move on. But, remember you shouldn’t feel guiltyabout your food choices, nor should you have to justify them. Push against your fear, educate yourselves, and allow yourselves to purchase food based on your health standards that suit your lifestyles because no one else knows how food makes your body feel. No one else has to live with the aches you get from going too long without eating. No one else needs to take medication you need to take if you develop diabetes or heart disease. No one else will be suffering an itchy rash, or worse, if you accidentally ingest something that you are allergic to Stand up for your choices! Call it out whenever you see it around you. Awareness is the first step in eliminating food bullying. Sometimes the people that are being bullied may not have enough money to buy more expensive, fresh, organic produce. They end up eating less and thus having a less healthy diet. Which leads to psychological conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits to develop.
Eating disorders are mental health conditions marked by an obsession with food, body shape or body weight. They can cause serious health consequences and may even result in death if left untreated. They can have a variety of symptoms, which include the severe restriction of food, food binges, or vomiting or over exercising. It affects people of any gender of any age, especially adolescents and young women. They may be caused by a variety of factors:genetics,personalitytraits(impulsivityandperfectionism),brainbiologyandexposure to media promoting an ideal body shape.
1. Anorexia nervosa is the most well known eating disorder.
People with anorexia generally view themselves as overweight, even if they’re dangerously underweight. They tend to constantly monitor their weight (despite being underweight), avoid eating certain types of foods (behaviors to avoid gaining weight), and severely restrict their calories. They have a distorted body image, including denial of being seriously underweight.
Many people with anorexia have obsessive compulsive symptoms, they may obsessively collect recipes, have difficulties eating in public.
Anorexia is officially categorized into two subtypes the restricting type (lose weight through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise) and the binge eating on large amounts of food or eat very little and purging type (vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics, or exercising excessively).
Anorexia can be very damaging to the body: thinning of their bones, infertility, brittle hair and nails, and the growth of a layer of fine hair all over their body. In severe cases, anorexia can result in heart, brain, or multi organ failure and death.
2.Bulimianervosa isanotherwell knowneatingdisorder.It tendstodevelop during adolescence and early adulthood and it is less common among men.
People with bulimia nervosa eat large amounts of food in short periods of time, then purge (forced vomiting, fasting, laxatives, diuretics, and excessive exercise) to compensate for the calories consumed. They fear gaining weight despite being at a normal weight.
Side effects ofbulimia mayincludean inflamed and sorethroat,swollen salivaryglands, worn tooth enamel, tooth decay, acid reflux, irritation of the gut, severe dehydration, and hormonal disturbances. In severe cases, bulimia can also create an imbalance in levels of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. This can cause a stroke or heart attack.
3. Binge eating disorder is believed to be one of the most common eating disorders, especially in the United States. It typically begins during adolescence and early adulthood, although it can also develop later on.
Individuals with this disorder have symptoms similar to those of bulimia or the binge eating subtypeofanorexia.Theyregularlyanduncontrollablyconsumelargeamountsoffoodinshort periods of time. Unlike people with other eating disorders, they do not purge. People with binge eating disorder often have overweight or obesity. This may increase their risk of medical complications linked to excess weight, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
4. Pica is another eating disorder that involves eating things that are not considered food. Individuals with pica crave non food substances, such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry detergent, or cornstarch. It is most frequently observed in children, pregnant women, and individuals with mental disabilities.
Individuals with pica may be at an increased risk of poisoning, infections, gut injuries, and nutritional deficiencies. Depending on the substances ingested, pica may be fatal.
5. Rumination disorder is another newly recognized eating disorder. Rumination disorder can affect people at all stages of life. People with the condition generally regurgitate the food they’ve recently swallowed. Then, they chew it again and either swallow it or spit it out. If not resolved in infants, rumination disorder can result in weight loss and severe malnutrition that can be fatal.
6. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder is a new name for an old disorder. The term replaces what was known as a “feeding disorder of infancy and early childhood,” a diagnosis previously reserved for children under 7 years old. It can persist into adulthood. It’s equally common among men and women. Individuals with this disorder experience disturbed eating either due to a lack of interest in eating or distaste for certain smells, tastes, colors, textures, or temperatures.
Other eating disorders
Individuals with purgingdisorderoftenusevomiting,laxatives,diuretics,orexcessive exercising to control their weight or shape. However, they do not binge.
Individuals with night eating syndrome frequently eat excessively, often after awakening from sleep.
Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)
Individuals with orthorexia (not recognized as a separate eating disorder) tend to have an obsessive focus on healthy eating, to an extent that disrupts their daily lives. The affected person may eliminate entire food groups, fearing they’re unhealthy. This can lead to malnutrition, severe weight loss, difficulty eating outside the home, and emotional distress. Individuals with orthorexia rarely focus on losing weight. Instead, their self worth, identity, or satisfaction is dependent upon how well they comply with their self imposed diet rules.
