Body Dissatisfaction In Young People

The body image is the mental and subjective representation of our appearance. Sometimes it approaches the reality of our body, in other cases it moves away from it in a decisive way. The dissatisfaction of one’s body, therefore, is the consequence of attitudes, feelings and patterns of behavior related to our most physical level.

Most of us are dissatisfied with at least one aspect of our body. This is normal, provided that no disproportionate action is taken to change or shape the body part in question.

The term used to describe this situation is “body image disorder”. We speak of bodily dissatisfaction, therefore, when the discomfort leads us to engage in behaviors that are harmful to health, physical and mental, in order to change our physical appearance.

Body dissatisfaction: origins and causes

Not loving your body is a very widespread phenomenon in Western society, so much so that in the last twenty years the need has been felt to understand its causes. The research focused on two groups of variables:

• Social factors. Media, culture, friends and family.
• Psychological factors. Feelings caused by social factors and beliefs induced by parents and culture.

As can be seen immediately, psychological factors are also associated with the social element. Furthermore, the media and culture present themselves as the main mediators of the physical aspect. As one of these studies indicates:

Body dissatisfaction among young people and adolescents

The image we have of our body is conditioned by elements of internal perception, affective and behavior. We live in a society that is increasingly focused on image. Especially in Western culture great value is attached to a lean body in women and muscular in men.

In this sense, the means of communication bombard us relentlessly, inserting their model of beauty into our schemes. Proof of this is that the beauty and body worship industries have steadily increased profits in recent years.

No age group is excluded, however it is during adolescence that this message is particularly harmful. Teenagers go through a phase of change, research and dissatisfaction. The influence of messages from society and the media, therefore, may affect them more than other age groups.

Some studies even indicate that bodily dissatisfaction occurs before adolescence. These are alarming figures that require extraordinary preventive measures from the company.

Consequences of a negative body image

Body dissatisfaction sometimes leads to health-threatening behaviors in an attempt to get closer to an ideal. For example, the pursuit of a healthy weight leads to banning certain foods, fasting and excessive physical activity.

Before adolescence, these behaviors can have negative consequences on the body: fatigue, bone trauma, gastrointestinal disorders or nutritional deficiencies. In severe cases, growth retardation, late puberty, or eating disorders can occur. Not accepting your body is considered a wake-up call for these conditions.

Eating disorders affect women more, but for some years the cases have been increasing among men. In this case the discontent is mostly caused by a body that is too thin or too fat and not muscular. The main concern for women, however, is excessive bulk.

To prevent these problems, there is an approach that has been particularly effective in use in schools. This insists, above all, on a critical view of the messages sent by the media about weight and figure. The aim is to achieve greater body acceptance and promote healthy, sporting and eating habits.