How a positive view of your body can lift your self-confidence

BY MICHAEL KRAFT, JUNIOR, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO

In the media-driven society that we live in today, it can be difficult to develop a healthy body image when you are constantly being flooded with messages and images targeting your insecurities about your appearance and showing people with unattainably �perfect� bodies (that are possibly digitally enhanced). A poll of 582 students conducted by Student Health 101 found that 95% said they know students who are not satisfied with the way they look, and 84% said they often or sometimes think about the way their body looks and wish it was different.

While some of these students may have a healthy attitude about improving themselves through exercise and proper nutrition, many who are not happy with the way they look have self-esteem issues.

�Body image is your self-esteem,� says Chrissy Quattro, a junior at the State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego). �Your self-esteem is what you see when you look in the mirror. If you are unhappy with yourself, then you will see someone who displeases you in the mirror. If you feel confident when you walk into a room, then you will naturally be confident about how you appear to other people.�

Fellow SUNY Oswego student Samantha Shelton says, �If you have a positive body image and are comfortable with yourself, you�re much more likely to keep pushing yourself to reach toward your goals�whether they�re physical, emotional, whatever�because you feel confident about yourself.�

A Sign of Bigger Problems
For some students, a poor body image can lead to bigger issues. These students may take up damaging eating behaviors (called disordered eating), which can include restrictive dieting and bingeing and purging. Sometimes disordered eating will lead to more serious eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. (To learn more about the terms and definitions of common eating disorders, VISIT http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/general-information.php#terms-definitions.)

�Body dissatisfaction is the most robust predictor of disordered eating, unhealthy weight control practices, eating disorders, along with depression and suicide,� says Dr. Mary Tantillo, an eating disorder specialist and director of the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders, based at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. �It is also correlated with other high-risk behaviors like substance abuse.�

You may not be able to handle serious body image issues on your own. If you or someone you know is seriously struggling with these problems, seek help or encourage him or her to seek help from your college health center, a doctor, or other expert resource. Body image issues may require medical attention from a mental health professional.

Build a Better Body Image
If you are not in a crisis situation but are having body image issues, you may wish to take measures on your own to build a better regard for the way you look. Quattro feels positive about herself by wearing clothes she feels comfortable in, doing yoga every morning, and riding her bike to work. Other steps toward a healthy body image are to:

• Eat a balanced diet.
• Limit the time spent in front of the mirror and on the scale.
• Make a list of all the things you like about yourself
• Surround yourself with people who like the way you look and care about your feelings.
• Find the things that make you feel good about your body.

To visit the resources and information page of the National Eating Disorders Association for more tips on improving how you see your body, VISIT http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/general-information.php.

MICHAEL KRAFT IS A JUNIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO. HE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS WITH BODY IMAGE ISSUES AND ANOREXIA NERVOSA BEFORE RECEIVING TREATMENT IN THE SUMMER OF 2009.

STUDENTVIEWS
Daniel Monical at Heartland Community College talk about loving yourself for who you are, not the way you look.
Hello, I�m Daniel.  I�m a sophomore at Heartland Community College, and I want to talk about developing a healthy body image. Maintaining a healthy body image can take a lot of work, and by that I mean exercising, finding clothes you�re comfortable in, grooming so you don�t look too scruffy, I may need a little work there, and one of my biggest battles is fighting acne, trying different face washes and things like that. And most important is accepting the way you look.

If you ever wish, like, �Man, I want to be the guy with six pack abs,� you probably know that takes a lot of work. There are a lot of different body types out there and I think that finding you own body type and setting goals from there is probably one of the first steps.

Finding a routine, you know, second step. I try to go to the gym, like, three, five times a week. That just depends, though; everyone has a busy schedule. That goes hand-in-hand, you know: schedule, time, fitness. Even if you just stay home, do some pushups, and go on a short run, that�s better than not doing anything at all.

Another thing that can help is finding clothes you are comfortable in, because if you are not comfortable in your clothes, you are probably not comfortable at all. Finding clothes that suit you--I�m probably more of like a plain Jane kind of guy; just jeans and a t-shirt and I�m ready to go, but not everyone is like that. So dress like what suits you. If you want to express yourself more with your clothes, go ahead.

I have my self-conscious days. One of my biggest problems is acne, and you can go look for your acne washes and topical creams and stuff like that, but it never hurts to see a dermatologist because they have a lot of solutions and they can find a solution that is just for you, and I�ve done that and it�s come a long way.

Most important thing about finding a healthy body image is really just accepting the way you look and being happy with who you are. Sometimes I wish I was more taller and a little more handsome, but remember that nobody is perfect and imperfections are beauty, so I guess that sometimes I think I�m pretty beautiful but you have to love yourself for who you are, not the way you look.

And I hope that all that�s helped. You�ve got to maintain; go to the gym, groom yourself, you�ve got to do those things, but that can go so far and the rest of it is owning your own image and one thing you�ve got to stay away from is those glamorous magazines. Models make up, like, one percent of the population.

Just be happy with how you are, and stay beautiful in your own way. Peace. Bye.     

 

Jordan Wilson and Ashley Strickler at Towson University share how they maintain a positive self image.
Hey, I�m Jordan and I�m Ashley and we�re both freshmen here at Towson University. I�m a dancer here at Towson and I�m a member of the Towson dance team. As dancers, it is especially important to stay in shape and be confident about our body images. We understand, however, that this can be difficult. One of our good friends often complains about her weight, worries about what she eats, and always obsesses about going to the gym. We reassure her that as long as we all eat healthy and exercise together, we will all stay in shape. We all encourage one another to make healthy choices. You don�t have to go on a crash diet and starve yourself to look good. All you have to do is eat healthier foods rather than, like, cake or ice cream. Try eating salads or fruit, which are always available at, like, the dining halls. And you should always make sure that you go to the gym a few times a week. It�s really not hard to get exercise here; you don�t have to play a rigorous D1 sport to work out. There are classes available at the gym for literally everyone. We have yoga, we have Zumba, there�s a rock climbing wall, there�s a place called Habitat. And, if you don�t like any of them, you can also join a club sport like Ashley does. Yeah, I�m on a club lacrosse team and I love it.  It�s not even that time-consuming; you practice like, two times a week and we have games on the weekends. It�s a good time for me to go out with my friends and just play and stay active. All these things have been working well for us since we�ve been here at Towson, and we�re both happy with the way we look and feel. We understand, though, that college is a big adjustment in so many ways. But, if you�re having problems in this area, just try some of the things like we do like gym or sports. And if you�re still experiencing difficulty, you�re not the only one. Try talking to a counselor or campus or going to the health center. Someone can help you out. We promise, there�s someone.