With the release of the Barbie movie this week, people have just been hyping over how great the movie will be and how excited fans are for the movie. People are flocking to the cinemas like never before, buying a ticket to their fairy Wonderland and getting a glimpse of Barbie in real life. However, it is important to note that this craze for Barbie points at a bigger picture, the one where over generations Barbie has become a standard of beauty. Young girls have been playing with Barbie ever since its first release in 1959.
What do you mean by Body Image?
Body image is the way we perceive a body. It includes our thoughts and feelings about the body which can be both good and bad. A positive body image is when you are more appreciative or have good thoughts about your body and a negative self-image on the other hand is extremely detrimental and is when you look at your body with negative thoughts and feelings.
The Impact of Barbie on Body Image
Barbie has become a household toy for every girl. What it has also influenced is an aspiration to have a figure or a body like Barbie- the height, hair, complexion and the body dimensions. These ideals have become so enshrined into the mind of young girls that throughout their growing age they internalize this notion of an ‘ideal body.’ If these teenage girls have a body which deviates from that ‘ideal body image’, they develop a negative body image.
It is important to note that a negative body image has an adverse effect on younger girls and adolescents as it often leads to poor self-esteem. Research has also shown that girls who have played with Barbies are also prone to eating disorders and lower self-esteem that very much carries on till their adulthood.
How does negative body image impact self-esteem and lead to Body Dysmorphia?
Rosenberg (1965) defined self-esteem as “one’s positive or negative attitude toward oneself and one’s evaluation of one’s own thoughts and feelings overall in relation to oneself.”
Self-esteem and body image often go hand in hand. It has been noticed that if you have a positive body image, you feel more comfortable about your body, care for it and a much more and have a higher self-esteem.
However, if you are not comfortable with your body or have a negative body image, it seriously influences how you feel about yourself and the worth you attach to yourself. A negative body image will more often than not result in poor self-esteem.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
A body dysmorphic disorder is defined in the DSM 5 as “preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others.”
Some of the symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder are:
- Repetitive behaviour like mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, reassurance seeking.
- Mentally comparing is or her appearance with that of others
- Obsessed with how they look
- The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning
One of the most important things in body dysmorphic disorder is that people become obsessed with how they look and their flaws and this is mostly a result of a negative body image.
The disorder comes under obsessive compulsive and related disorder, but its impact on our mental well-being is also substantial.
A body dysmorphic disorder can also lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. This feeling of shame or unhappiness related to one’s body or constantly pointing out flaws increases anxious thoughts or depressive feelings. It is important to note that the relationship between body image, anxiety, and depression goes both ways. People with body image issues can feel anxious and depressed, and people with depression can suffer from body image issues.
Hence, a negative body image not only impacts current well- being, but also impacts any future disorder we might face.
The Current Situation
However, lately, there has been a realization that the Barbie look is just a fantasy and probably impossible to sustain. This has been due to mental health awareness and advocation for self-love where women are now beginning to shun these unrealistic demands.
What Steps Can You Take to Overcome Body Image Issues?
A negative body image or low self-esteem that leads to Body Dysmorphic Disorder, depression, or anxiety cannot be treated overnight and needs constant support, challenging the notion of an ‘ideal body’, and working through the problems with therapists or experienced mental health professionals.
At North America Behavioural Health Services, we guide you to the correct information and sources that can help you achieve positive body image and deal with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Your step towards breaking generations of body image issues begins with one phone call!
