5 Common Myths About Body Image and Eating Habits
Many people struggle with their relationship with food and their bodies, often influenced by harmful myths that society perpetuates, information we had growing up and sometimes even cultural elements.
Let’s break down some of the most common ones:
1. "You have to love your body all the time." It’s unrealistic to expect constant self-love. Body neutrality — appreciating what your body does for you rather than how it looks — is a more compassionate and sustainable goal. Being body positive means so much more that being able to stand in front of the mirror and being able to compliment or even see yourself through a admiring lens. As you may know, it’s a lot easier for us to focus on all the negatives and much more challenging to accept the positives but our bodies are so much more than their appearance.
2. "Dieting is the best way to feel better about yourself." Diet culture often disguises itself as self-care, but constant restriction can damage both physical and mental health. Many of us have been told to focus on the number on the scale or even BMI and at times this can become obsessive and damaging. It’s also important to acknowledge that the diet culture is not new and it has been changing its presentation over the years but considering how much easier it is nowadays to get access to information online we can constantly get bombarded with tips and tricks and complicated research about what food is ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘top worst foods to eat when…’ etc.
For some it might be very easy to filter through this information and to even block it from their feed, for others this is a challenge in itself. Food is so much more than calories, it can be warmth, connection and at a base line it’s a need.
3. "If you just had more willpower, you could control your eating." Eating is not just about willpower; it's about nourishment, emotion, habit and connection. Shame around food often leads to more distress, rather than better outcomes. This narrative is also extremely damaging because it fuels the inner critic and it can become all encompassing giving us a sense of being lost, powerless and stuck. Each individual relationship with food is often complex and tangled, it comes with emotions and stories attached to it that can only be understood if we allow ourselves to sit with the discomfort of mixed feelings. Shaming and guilt tripping might work for a limited amount of time but the impact of those is long lasting and incredibly harmful.
4. "Only people with visible signs of disordered eating need help." Struggles with food and body image are valid at any size and stage. We wouldn’t say that to anyone struggling with a invisible medical condition so why does society believe it’s fair to say it when we talk about emotional distress? In my experience, most people believe that the only way to fight these battles are alone and try to keep their difficulties hidden. I would like to remind you that you don’t need to reach a crisis to deserve support.
5. "Your body is the problem." Actually, it’s often our environment, messages we receive growing up, and societal pressures that create the problem. We often feel like we need to change our bodies to fit in a certain size, to look a certain way, to feel confident going to certain places. The fashion industry is ridiculously complicated to navigate and it often leaves people feeling disheartened and annoyed. The body is not the problem and neither are the clothes as long as we don’t attach our self worth to the numbers or the letters on the label but at times shopping trips that are supposed to bring us joy because they allow us to pick items which can showcase our personalities leave us in tears.
One final reminder:
Your body is not the enemy.
In therapy you can find a safe space to explore these beliefs, unravel their root cause, gain a better understanding on your relationship with your body and build a kinder, more supportive way of caring for yourself. Not every day will be perfect, but allowing yourself to challenge some of these beliefs might open up the space for small changes and more rounded sense of self.
