How people around you can influence your body image
| Jan 31, 2019, 13:59 IST
The type of company you keep has the power to influence how good you feel about your body. A new study has found social interactions impact body image views.
Researchers suggest if you spend time with non-body focused people (those who don't spend too much time thinking about weight or appearance), it can improve your body image and eating habits. Previous research has found being around people too focused on body image can be detrimental.
For the study, 100 female undergraduate students aged between 17 and 25 participated. The team measured the girls' daily interactions with body focused and non-body focused people, as well as body satisfaction. They also examined when the participants ate according to their hunger, cravings or a weight loss goal.
The results revealed that body dissatisfaction can heavily impact our mood, relationships and self-esteem. "It's important to realise that the people we spend time with actually influence our body image. If we are able to spend more time with people who are not preoccupied with their bodies, we can actually feel much better about our own bodies," Allison Kelly, Professor at the varsity told a news portal.
Researchers believe staying away from people that are not body image obsessed can protect you from possibly developing an eating disorder. "If more women try to focus less on their weight or shape, there may be a ripple effect shifting societal norms for women's body image in a positive direction. It's also important for women to know that they have an opportunity to positively impact those around them through how they relate to their own bodies," Miller explained.
Researchers suggest if you spend time with non-body focused people (those who don't spend too much time thinking about weight or appearance), it can improve your body image and eating habits. Previous research has found being around people too focused on body image can be detrimental.
For the study, 100 female undergraduate students aged between 17 and 25 participated. The team measured the girls' daily interactions with body focused and non-body focused people, as well as body satisfaction. They also examined when the participants ate according to their hunger, cravings or a weight loss goal.
The results revealed that body dissatisfaction can heavily impact our mood, relationships and self-esteem. "It's important to realise that the people we spend time with actually influence our body image. If we are able to spend more time with people who are not preoccupied with their bodies, we can actually feel much better about our own bodies," Allison Kelly, Professor at the varsity told a news portal.
Researchers believe staying away from people that are not body image obsessed can protect you from possibly developing an eating disorder. "If more women try to focus less on their weight or shape, there may be a ripple effect shifting societal norms for women's body image in a positive direction. It's also important for women to know that they have an opportunity to positively impact those around them through how they relate to their own bodies," Miller explained.