Promoting Positive Body Image and Embodiment in Schools

2019 ◽  
pp. 346-359
Author(s):  
Zali Yager
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Media Literacy ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Program Content

Body image programming has been implemented in schools to varying degrees of success, but to date, no programs specific to positive body image have been developed and evaluated. This chapter reviews programs that have been effective in improving body image to determine whether the elements of positive body image and embodiment have been present in program content. Some elements of positive body image, such as media literacy and critiquing stereotypes, were present in all five programs conducted with children (<12 years), and all eight programs conducted with adolescents (13–18 years). Additionally, agency (through activism and voice) and broadly conceptualizing beauty were often present in children’s programs, and resisting objectification and agency were often present in adolescent programs. Only one program included the Body Appreciation Scale as a measure of program effectiveness. Potential future directions for programs are discussed, including the incorporation of positive movement, mindfulness, and self-compassion.

Compassion-Based Interventions to Facilitate Positive Body Image and Embodiment

2019 ◽  
pp. 265-276
Author(s):  
Allison C. Kelly ◽  
Kathryn E. Miller ◽  
Kiruthiha Vimalakanthan ◽  
Jessica R. Dupasquier ◽  
Sydney Waring
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Compassion Focused Therapy ◽  
Mixed Gender ◽  
Overweight Or Obesity ◽  
Improve Health

A growing number of interventions for body image and eating disorders now seek to build individuals’ capacities for self-compassion and other-compassion. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) helps self-critical individuals to relate to themselves and others from a more compassionate mindset and to grow more comfortable receiving compassion from others. Though more empirical research is needed, preliminary studies revealed that in women with eating disorders, body image preoccupation, or the presence of overweight or obesity, CFT-based interventions can reduce eating pathology, decrease shame, improve body image, increase capacities for self-compassion and other-compassion, and improve health. In addition, mindfulness meditations that focus on the cultivation of self-compassion and other-compassion have been found to improve body image-related experiences, including body appreciation. It will be important to extend the extant research by conducting larger scale studies of compassion-based interventions in mixed-gender samples with a greater focus on assessing positive body image outcomes.

Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niva Piran
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Social Interventions ◽  
Dialectical Relationship ◽  
And Gender

Positive body image entails appreciating, loving, respecting, nurturing, protecting, and seeing beauty in the body regardless of its consistency with media appearance ideals. Embodiment reflects a connection between the mind and the body, which have a continual dialectical relationship with the world, and includes positive body connection, body agency and functionality, attuned self-care, positive experiences with body desires, and living in the body as a subjective rather than objectified site. This 38-chapter handbook reviews current knowledge of positive body image and embodiment, as well as future directions for work in these areas, which will be useful for mental health researchers, practitioners, advocates, and activists. Nine chapters review constructs that represent the positive ways we live in our bodies: experiences of embodiment, body appreciation, body functionality, body image flexibility, broad conceptualization of beauty, mindful attunement, intuitive eating, attunement with exercise, and attuned sexuality. Fifteen chapters speak to how we can cultivate positive body image and embodiment by expanding physical freedom (mindful movement, personal safety, connection to agency and desire); mental freedom (resisting objectification, stigma, media images, and gender-related molds); and social power (within families, peers, support systems, and online contexts). Last, 14 chapters address novel ways we can enhance positive body image and embodiment through individual and social interventions that focus on compassion, acceptance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, social justice, movement (yoga), cognitive dissonance, media literacy, and public health and policy initiatives.

scholarly journals The Nature of Positive Body Image: Examining Associations Between Nature Exposure, Self-Compassion, Functionality Appreciation, and Body Appreciation

Ecopsychology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viren Swami ◽  
David Barron ◽  
Ranjeev Hari ◽  
Simmy Grover ◽  
Lee Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Self Compassion

Emotion-Focused Therapy to Facilitate Positive Body Image and Embodiment

2019 ◽  
pp. 277-287
Author(s):  
Iryna Ivanova
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Body Shame ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Emotion Focused Therapy ◽  
Negative Body Image ◽  
Positive Body Image

This chapter describes the application of emotion-focused therapy (EFT) in enhancing embodiment and positive body image in individuals with eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. It provides an overview of emotion regulation and dysregulation and highlights possible links between emotion regulation deficits, negative body image, and disordered eating. It reviews the application of EFT in the treatment of emotion dysregulation and describes EFT interventions that help enhance positive embodiment and positive body image. The chapter also reviews outcome research on the application of EFT in healing bodily and emotional disruptions in adults and adolescents through individual and group psychotherapy. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future directions to advance the application of EFT to transform body shame into more attuned and empowering ways to inhabit the body.

scholarly journals Nature Exposure and Positive Body Image: A Cross–Sectional Study Examining the Mediating Roles of Physical Activity, Autonomous Motivation, Connectedness to Nature, and Perceived Restorativeness

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 12246
Author(s):  
Migle Baceviciene ◽  
Rasa Jankauskiene ◽  
Viren Swami
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Connectedness To Nature

Research shows that nature exposure is directly and indirectly associated with more positive body image, which is an important facet of well-being more generally. In this study, we tested the mediating roles of physical activity in nature, perceived restoration in nature, autonomous motivation, and connectedness to nature in explaining the association between nature exposure and positive body image. An online sample of 924 Lithuanian adults (age M = 40.0 years, 73.6% women) completed a survey that included the Nature Exposure (NE) Scale, the Body Appreciation Scale-2, a measure of frequency of physical activity in nature (PAN), the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2, the Restoration Outcome Scale, and the Connectedness to Nature Scale. Path analysis was conducted to examine hypothesized direct and indirect effects. Results showed that both greater NE (B = 0.564, SE = 0.057, p < 0.001) and autonomy in exercise motivation (B = 0.039, SE = 0.006, p < 0.001) were associated with more frequent PAN. Direct effects from exercise autonomy to nature restorativeness (B = 0.017, SE = 0.006, p = 0.004) and body appreciation (B = 0.041, SE = 0.004, p < 0.001) were observed. Associations were also found between connectedness to nature and body appreciation (B = 0.166, SE = 0.040, p < 0.001), nature restorativeness and body appreciation (B = 0.075, SE = 0.019, p < 0.001), and frequency of PAN and body appreciation (B = 0.064, SE = 0.019, p < 0.001). PAN mediated the relationship between NE and body appreciation. The final model was invariant across place of residence (urban vs. rural) and gender. Including self-determined physical activity in nature may increase the effectiveness of intervention programs aimed at promoting more positive body image.

scholarly journals How virtual avatar experience interplays with self-concepts: the use of anthropometric 3D body models in the visual stimulation process

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juyeon Park ◽  
Jennifer Paff Ogle
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Body Perception ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Novel Applications ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Virtual Avatar

AbstractWe explored how viewing one’s anthropometric virtual avatar would affect the viewer’s self-body perception through the comparative evaluation of self-concepts—self-esteem and self-compassion, within the framework of allocentric lock theory. We recruited 18 female adults, aged 18–21, who identified themselves to have some level of body image concerns, and who had had no clinical treatment for their body image. Participants were randomly assigned either to the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in both body positivity program and virtual avatar program, whereas the control group attended the body positivity program, only. The results affirmed that the body positivity program served as a psychological buffer prior to the virtual avatar stimulus. After the virtual avatar experience, the participants demonstrated self-acceptance by lowering their expectation on how they should look like. The findings from exit interviews enriched the quantitative results. This study verified the mechanism of the altered processing of the stored bodily memory by the egocentric sensory input of virtual avatars, and offered practical potential of the study outcomes to be applied in various emerging fields where novel applications of virtual 3D technology are sought, such as fashion e-commerce.

scholarly journals #BodyProudMums: Promoting Body Positivity through Brand Storytelling on Social Media

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-341
Author(s):  
Ruvira Arindita
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Satisfaction ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Appreciation ◽  
Body Image Satisfaction ◽  
Body Acceptance

Previous researches showed that there is relation between body image satisfaction and depression in perinatal period. Given this fact, it is important to educate and find ways to enhance mothers’ postpartum self-esteem and body satisfaction. For the last decade body image literature has risen and brought to new discussion about body positivity. This research focuses on women’s body positivity campaign presented by Mothercare called #BodyProudMums. The objective of this research is to identify the storytelling elements used to promote women’s body positivity campaign and whether the issue creates good brand story for Mothercare. The concepts used are body positivity, postpartum, brand storytelling, and social media with qualitative content analysis as research method. The unit of analysis are ten posts of #BodyProudMums campaign on @mothercareuk, while the samples are three randomly chosen posts. This research notes that the body positivity messages of body appreciation, body acceptance, and love, as well as broad conceptualization of beauty are carried out by the elements of storytelling namely: basic plots (the quest), archetype (the change master) with the following story objectives: communicating who they are, fostering collaboration, transmitting values and sparking action. There are only three out of four elements of good brand story present on the campaign. However, the absence of humor element is justified because of the nature of the postpartum story in which it shares mothers’ hardship and how they finally cope with it. Therefore, it can be said that the issue of mothers’ body positivity creates good brand story for Mothercare. Key words: positive body image, postpartum, brand storytelling, social media

scholarly journals Body Image in Athletes and Nonathletes With Low Back Pain: Avoidance–Endurance-Related Subgroups and Sports Status Play a Role

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Claudia G. Levenig ◽  
Michael Kellmann ◽  
Jens Kleinert ◽  
Johanna Belz ◽  
Tobias Hesselmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Psychosocial Aspects ◽  
Pain Behavior ◽  
The Body ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Pain Responses

Context: Low back pain (LBP) is a serious health problem, both in the general population as well as in athletes. Research has shown that psychosocial aspects, such as dysfunctional pain responses, play a significant role in the chronification of LBP. Recent research supports the relevance of the multidisciplinary concept of body image in the interpretation of LBP. Objective: To examine the differences in 2 psychosocial aspects, body image and pain responses, between athletes and nonathletes with LBP. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: The questionnaires were distributed in the course of LBP treatment. Participants: Data from 163 athletes (mean age = 28.69 [9.6] y) and 75 nonathletes (mean age = 39.34 [12.63] y) were collected. Interventions: Data were collected by questionnaires assessing body image, pain behavior, training activity, and LBP. Main Outcome Measures: To examine group differences between athletes and nonathletes regarding body image and pain behavior, the authors performed 2-way analyses of variance with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: The results showed (1) a significant main effect regarding pain responses and body image, showing that participants with eustress endurance or adaptive pain behavior revealed a more positive body image in both groups compared with participants with distress endurance or fear-avoidance behavior, and (2) a significant main effect for the factor group in the body image dimension of physical efficacy, indicating a more positive body image for athletes. Conclusion: These results suggest that considering multiple risk factors for LBP, such as body image and dysfunctional pain behavior, as well as subgrouping, might be valuable for research and for broadening therapy options.

Media Literacy Interventions to Facilitate Positive Body Image and Embodiment

2019 ◽  
pp. 374-384
Author(s):  
Simon Wilksch
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Media Literacy ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Developmental Theory ◽  
Eating Disorder Risk ◽  
Literacy Interventions ◽  
Positive Body Image ◽  
The Media ◽  
Disorder Risk

This chapter explores the media literacy approach to body image and eating disorder risk reduction through a positive body image and embodiment lens. While most media literacy research in the field to date has focused on reducing eating disorder risk factors, available evidence is discussed for how media literacy programs can impact the physical, mental, and social power domains relevant to the developmental theory of embodiment. The media literacy approach appears well suited to investigations of positive body image and embodiment. While media literacy primarily focuses on reducing the perceived importance of appearance and weight, the mechanism by which this is achieved needs further exploration where it is likely that such “positive” features play an important part.

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