What is Body Acceptance?
It is defined as embracing one’s body despite not being completely satisfied with all aspects of it. This comprises having a healthy perception, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours towards our bodies [1].
Effectiveness
By accepting your body, it can lead you to a variety of positive outcomes [2]:
- Feelings of empowerment
- High self-esteem
- A healthy mindset to perceive one’s body
- Positive self-image
- Reduced unhealthy attempts to change one’s body shape and weight
Indicators
Individuals who face problems with accepting their bodies often go undetectable by others. Hence, here are some signs that you can look out for [3]:
- Constantly checking yourself in the mirror
- Avoiding mirrors
- Always asking other people whether you look OK
- Not believing other people when they say you look fine
- Trying to hide or “correct” your body part(s) (i.e., oversized clothes, aesthetic procedures)
- Feeling anxious, depressed, and ashamed about your physical appearance
References:
[1] Griffiths, S. (2017). Body Acceptance. In Zeigler-Hill V., Shackelford T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_486-1
[2] Legault, L., & Sago, A. (2021). When body positivity falls flat: Divergent effects of body acceptance messages that support vs. undermine basic psychological needs. Science direct, 41, p.225-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.02.013
[3] Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Body dysmorphic disorder. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/body-dysmorphic-disorder
