Body Image, Nutrition and Self Esteem
Body Image, Nutrition, and Self Esteem
Beauty is what is on the inside. Confidence is what matters.
Nutrition is the process involved in consuming and utilizing food substances in order to promote growth, repair, and maintain a healthy body. Nutrition in itself is often twisted and stereotyped in the media to involve losing a certain amount of weight and promoting unhealthy eating habits. A healthy body isn't defined by a certain weight but by the particular nutrients that the body is receiving from eating the correct foods.
Each person has their own set of needs relating to their unique body type. For example, I have low iron, so my diet consists of more iron-enriched foods than others.
The media has very negative influences on women and their body image. Magazines TV shows and celebrities all aid in creating an unrealistic expectation of what the ideal woman should look like. there are so many dieting programs and extreme workouts in other companies trying to take advantage of women being insecure about their bodies. According to research studies, most young women are insecure or unsatisfied with their appearance and are actively trying to lose weight.
One study found that at age thirteen, 53% of American young women report being “unhappy with their bodies.”
This increases to 78% by they reach seventeen years old (National Organization for Women, 2023).
Eating disorders are extremely common and can impact women's health in many ways. Being malnourished can cause a plethora of issues including those associated with the menstrual cycle, fertility, and hair growth, and can even be fatal in some cases.
High fashion models and other role models for young women perpetuate unrealistic stereotypes of how women should look even when those standards are not physically possible for most women. Young girls are exposed to these influences very early on and continue to compare themselves to celebrities and each other.
Having access to nutritional foods is not a reality for a lot of communities that are located in food deserts or may live a lower-income life where shopping for high-quality produce is not possible. Food deserts are places where high-quality and healthy foods are not accessible but unhealthy and fast foods are promoted heavily and are affordable to those populations. There are a lot of stigmas against women and exercising that are positive and negative. On one hand, women are motivated to exercise but are told that they don't want to look “too bulky” or they won't be desirable.
Obesity is a huge issue in the US and can be the result of living in food deserts, the result of an eating disorder, caused by an injury that does not allow them to exercise, or just living a very sedentary lifestyle. A person can be categorized as obese if they have a BMI over 30. In 2021, it was reported that 32% of adults in the US fall r the category of being considered obese (USA Facts, 2023). This is a result of toxic diet culture, lack of access to healthy foods, and marketing tactics from fast food companies. Overall, women's and the general population's health in this country needs a lot of improvement.
Practicing self-love and acceptance is extremely important in monitoring your mental health so make sure you are appreciating your body for its uniqueness. You are beautiful!
References
Comments
Post a Comment