In today’s culture, we are bombarded with artificially-produced, highly edited imagines of flawlessly sculpted bodies. As a result, achieving the “perfect” body has become the dominant measure of self-worth. Thinness has become a symbol of power, moral superiority, and even a measure of fitness/wellness. We have been taught that we can assume someone’s health status based on how they look or their weight. Weight stigma and anti-fat biases continue to strengthen these harmful beliefs. For example, how many times have you praised a friend or family member for losing weight? Are you more likely to follow health, diet and fitness advice from a fitness influencer who is lean or defined than one who may not have an “ideal” body? Has a doctor ever told you that losing weight will improve your health? Society has very strong views on how we should look, which impacts our thoughts about ourselves, which can then influence our food and exercise behaviors.
Poor body image is often linked to dieting, over-exercising and eating disorders, as well as the development of other mental health issues such low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.
Not all athletes who want to change their eating do so because they are dissatisfied with their body but because our society places a huge emphasis on appearance, many disciplined and dedicated athletes are vulnerable to the effects of diet culture. Athletes will often focus more on what the body looks like, rather than how it functions. Athletes want to feel included and accepted and constant exposure to idealized images of what an athlete’s body should look can bring on comparison and pressure to achieve a specific type of body, size or weight. Even when an athlete has good intentions to eat better for health or performance, unrealistic body standards and comments about weight and performance may increase body dissatisfaction and bring on unhealthy behaviors to lose weight. And when an athlete is told by a coach to lose weight, the athlete is likely to turn to a variety of restrictive eating habits set forth by diet culture.
When you feel dissatisfied with your body, it's typical to channel insecurities and body dissatisfaction through dieting as a way to gain control over uncomfortable feelings. But a safer - and more long-lasting approach - is through developing a better relationship with your body. Building a positive body image can counteract the negative stream of images and messages that you are constantly encouraged to compare yourself to.
Be smaller. Be lighter.
For our entire lives those messages have been drilled into us from every angle, including very often from those in our sports.
For our entire lives those messages have been drilled into us from every angle, including very often from those in our sports.
We hear we need to be at “race weight.”
We’re shown “idealized” images of what female athletes “should” look like.
It’s all incredibly damaging, especially as we hit menopause and midlife and our bodies start to change. It’s also based on BS. Women with cellulite and extra body fat win races. Women who are well-fueled outperform those who are not. There is no one magic number on the scale or body fat percentage that makes us a success. All the destructive messages that make us hate our bodies feed the diet culture machine. T
Check out my recent podcast interview with Selene at Feisty Menopause to dismantle that machine and help you find body peace, so you don’t spend the next chapters of your life in an endless war with yourself.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
It’s all incredibly damaging, especially as we hit menopause and midlife and our bodies start to change. It’s also based on BS. Women with cellulite and extra body fat win races. Women who are well-fueled outperform those who are not. There is no one magic number on the scale or body fat percentage that makes us a success. All the destructive messages that make us hate our bodies feed the diet culture machine. T
Check out my recent podcast interview with Selene at Feisty Menopause to dismantle that machine and help you find body peace, so you don’t spend the next chapters of your life in an endless war with yourself.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN