Understanding the Factors that Shape Our Body Image: 9 Factors That Influence the Way We See Our Bodies
Even after doing a significant amount of work and healing around body image, many of us find that our body image still fluctuates – sometimes even from one day to the next. This can feel discouraging and frustrating when you are putting work and effort into healing or improving your relationship with your body. It was liberating for me to learn that it is entirely normal and expected for our body image to ebb and flow — for it to be good one day and not as great the next. One reason for this is that our body image is the result of many contributing factors. Growing our awareness for he things that influence it can both help us heal and help us understand that – even in our healing– a fluid body image is normal.
One benefit of understanding what influences my own body image is how it enables me to examine what in my life may have changed if I enter a longer period of time where I am struggling with my body image. Instead of getting frustrated with myself or my body, I can more easily pinpoint a specific thing or two that may be leading to this change in my body image.
Some of the factors that influence our body image are specific to us as individuals, and others impact us on a grander scale and more holistically. Amidst those are the factors below that commonly impact many of us and how we see our bodies.
9 Factors that Influence Our Body Image
Social Media
Social media can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to body image. On one hand, they can offer a space for body diversity, body neutrality and positivity, encouragement to find and make peace with your body, and an interaction point where people can celebrate different body types and challenge harmful norms. On the other hand, we all encounter the curated images, filters, harmful messaging about our bodies and promotion of unattainable standards of beauty. The constant comparison to these idealized versions of reality can distort our self-perception and fuel body dissatisfaction. Even the number of likes and comments we get when we post on our own social media can become a measure of our self-worth, further impacting how we view our bodies.
2. Culture
The culture we live in plays a significant role in shaping how we view our bodies. Since our society prioritizes thinness, youth, and certain body shapes, the idolization of these things becomes deeply ingrained in our consciousness from a young age. When we see these ideals constantly reinforced in media, advertising, and even within our own social circles and communities, it’s easy to internalize them as the benchmarks for our own self-worth.
3. Romantic Relationships
Your partner’s comments, whether positive or negative, can have a profound effect on how we see ourselves. Supportive and affirming partners can help us feel more confident and comfortable in our skin, while criticism or lack of validation can exacerbate our insecurities. Additionally, the intimacy of these relationships can bring our bodies into focus, making us more aware of perceived flaws or imperfections.
4. Friendships
Our friendships can also shape how we feel about our bodies. Friends who engage in body shaming, diet talk, or who are overly focused on appearance can contribute to negative body image. Conversely, friendships who are supportive, practice body neutrality and diversity, connect to us on a level that goes deeper than body shaming and diet talk can be incredibly empowering. The conversations we have with our friends, the activities we do together, and even the way they talk about their own bodies can all influence how we perceive our own.
5. Trauma
Experiencing trauma, especially trauma related to your body, such as abuse, bullying, or medical procedures, can deeply affect your relationship with your body. Trauma can cause us to disconnect from our bodies, view them as sources of pain, or struggle with feelings of shame or worthlessness.
6. Clothes
Wearing clothes that are uncomfortable, too tight, or that don’t align with our personal style can make us feel self-conscious or dissatisfied with our appearance, making us think our body is the problem. Additionally, the fashion industry’s limited size ranges and emphasis on certain body types can also contribute to feelings of inadequacy or frustration when shopping for clothes.
7. Parents’ beliefs and comments about their (and your) body
The way our parents talked about their own bodies – and ours – can have a lasting impact on our body image. Growing up hearing negative comments about weight, appearance, or the importance of being thin can shape our own beliefs about what our bodies should look like. These messages might not fully manifest until later in life, especially during significant transitions like becoming a parent ourselves, when these old beliefs can resurface and challenge the work we’ve done on the relationship we have with our bodies.
8. Health Issues
Dealing with both chronic and temporary health issues can significantly affect how we view our bodies. Physical limitations, changes in appearance, or the need to rely on others for care can contribute to us feeling uncomfortable, unsatisfied, and disconnected from our bodies.
9. Sports and physical activity
Our involvement in sports and physical activity can shape our body image in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, regular physical activity can help us feel strong, capable, and more connected to our bodies. However, the pressure to perform, maintain a certain body type, or meet specific standards in sports can lead to body dissatisfaction or even disordered eating. Balancing the joy of movement with a healthy body image is key to reaping the benefits of physical activity.
Why Do the Factors that Influence Our Body Image Matter?
Understanding some of the things that can and do influence our body image help us to build self-awareness. With this self-awareness, we are more equipped to be proactive in managing, protecting, and improving our body image moving forward. It also allows us to extend compassion to ourselves on the (inevitable) days when we’re struggling, recognizing that a myriad of factors contribute to how we see ourselves. By identifying and addressing these influences, we can work towards a more healthy, clear, and stable relationship with our bodies, one that acknowledges the ebb and flow of life and accepts that fluctuations in body image are a normal part of our experience as humans. As we continue to work toward a more healthy relationship with our bodies, the fluctuations become less drastic and disruptive and easier to recover from.
By: Erika Muller, Assistant for Wildflower Therapy LLC
All images via Unsplash
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