Body Image

Preparing to exercise together, each of three women confessed that none was completely happy with her figure. We laughed after I suggested we all suffer from some degree of body image dysmorphia. Many women have heightened aesthetic sensitivity. This is understandable, considering our lingering tendency to praise little girls for being pretty, beautiful, cute, etc. It’s not surprising that girls often grow up feeling “worth” is connected to “looks.” There’s a tendency in women, and increasingly in men, to see ourselves through slightly negative filters, too. However, when this tendency becomes a preoccupation with our flaws in appearance or defects (even flaws only we can see in ourselves), we begin to cross a line that separates the average woman/man from someone with an obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-related disorder called body dysmorphic disorder or BDD. BDD has been called “a disease of self-perceived ugliness,” is classified as a mental disorder, and isn’t a laughing matter (Eda Gorbis, PhD, LMFT; Body Dysmorphic Disorder: The Disease of Self-Perceived Ugliness and its Relationship to OCD). Without going too much into stereotypes, we’ve all heard (maybe even asked), “Does this dress make me look fat?” Whether it’s the dress or not, 1 in 50 of us obsess about body image. People with severe BDD may even miss work or school because of symptom-associated anxiety and depression. Some may shy away from social events, feeling embarrassed or fearing rejection. It’s not certain why some people develop BDD, and like with so many other mental and emotional health issues, it could be that genetics are a factor; it could be caused by the environment in which a child grows up; it might be rooted in neurobiology, personality and/or life experiences such as trauma or abuse. There’s a lot left to learn. What IS known is that BDD usually develops in adolescents and teens between 12 and 13 years of age, and it affects men and women equally. According to the American Psychiatric Association, BDD “occurs in 2.5% of males and in 2.2% of females in the United States.” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) If we observe in our loved ones (or find in ourselves); attempts to camouflage particular parts of the body (by using clothing, makeup, hats, etc.), regular comparing of a body part to others' in appearance, seeking plastic surgery, obsessive mirror checking OR mirror avoidance, excessive grooming, excessive exercise or excessive clothes changing, it may be time to seek the guidance of a trained mental health practitioner (learn more at Anxiety and Depression Association of America). See the tremendous value in continuing effort and hard work, then ask “What IS beautiful?” When we value the Pursuit of Excellence, “beautiful” suddenly means abundantly more than a mirrored reflection.