Body Image Psychology

Body image basically has a perception component, how one visualizes the size and shape of the body; an attitudinal component, what one thinks about one’s body both cognitively and affectively and how committed one is to a thin ideal and behavioural manifestations related to body image.(Botta, 1998)

Body image, as defined by Judy Lightstone, “involves our perception, imagination, emotions, and physical sensations of and about our bodies. It’s not static-but ever changing; sensitive to changes in mood, environment, and physical experience. It is not based on fact. It is psychological in nature, and much more influenced by self-esteem than by actual physical attractiveness as judged by others. It is not inborn, but learned. This learning occurs

Studies (Wynn, 2012) show that even most of the women about 80% say that the image of “real women” are not shown by media. Some report that real women are more voluptuous and curvy. About 64% of the women concluded that they would have been happier if they were skinnier. As adolescents 50.3% of the women were “not at satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their body.

A survey on 151 female participants of Illinois between the age group of 18-25 years studied whether the adolescents who had negative perceptions of their body image due to the exposure of media were more or less likely to have negative perceptions of their bodies as adults. The participants were asked to memorise their past relationship with media and its impact and questions related to how it contrast with their current relationship with media. The results of the survey show a moderate relationship between the body image as adolescent and body image as adult. (Wynn, 2012)

Further, a study also found that nearly 76% of the women aspire to have a smaller body size than their existing figure while only around five percent of the women aspire to have a larger body figure than their present figure. This dangerous culture of thinness may lead to a manifestation of body dissatisfaction which may further result in eating disorders (V & Maran,

It focuses more on individual with Facebook and Instagram profiles flooded with personal photographs. With the advent of new media the effect of social media seems to be more vehement. Its impact on body image of young boys and girls need further investigation. Facebook users having significantly higher scores on body image concern measures (Tiggemann & Miller, 2010, Tiggemann & Slater, 2013).

In a survey on 300 students of Victorian University, it was found that students who are on social media reported that they feel pressure to look more attractive or muscular, lose weight and to change their appearance. There were correlations between Pinterest and body shame, between Instagram and concerns with body image and body surveillance and appearance control beliefs and between Pinterest and Facebook and perceived pressure. (Pepin & Endresz, 2015)

Also the people who regularly shared self-images on social media have higher body dissatisfaction, overvaluation of shape and size, internalization of thin ideal and dietary restraint as compared to people who are not regular sharers. It was found that people who are engaged in higher manipulation of self-images and invested more in images had higher levels of body dissatisfaction, weight and shape issues and was restrained food-eaters. (McLean, Paxton, Wertheim, & Masters,