Sociologists believe that we are bombarded with over 400 different types of advertising messages on a daily basis. We see images that we see in the media almost daily of what the “perfect” female or male body should look like. Teenagers are especially assaulted by images on television, their magazines or on the Internet with the images of this perfect body. And, because our body image is often based on what others look like or what we perceive others look like and how that relates to our own goals and aspirations for our bodies, these images will be incorporated into our self perception.
But what really is body image? Our body image is just what it sounds like, an image of what we think our bodies look like in our minds eye. It is the way we think about our own body and how we think that others see us. This awareness and perception is often based on appearance and function. People who have a positive body image will usually see themselves as attractive to others while those who have a poor body image will see themselves as unattractive and sometimes even repulsive.
Body image is not a concept that is static. In other words it is changing and not based on facts but rather influenced by our self-esteem and psychological nature. Our body image is sensitive to our emotions, our moods and our water weight retention. We learn how to perceive our body image to the interaction we have with our own families and friends but it is only a reinforcement of what is learned from the culture.
Body image is not based on the opinions of others. Some people who have a great body image may be rated as unattractive by others while those who have a poor body image may be rated as very attractive by others.
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