Media & the Bio-individual Ideal_Final
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>> Hello and welcome back.
Earlier in this module,
we discussed how an unhelpful body image
can motivate us to try to conform to an ideal,
and how our efforts to do so
can further damage our body image
because that ideal is impossible to achieve.
Why?
Because ideals are continually changing
and are often unrealistic in the first place.
In this short lecture, we're going to explore body image
through another lens, the bio-individual ideal.
In other words, the ideal is not objective at all,
it's subjective.
One person's food is another person's poison.
One person's ideal is another person's nightmare.
What works for you might not work for me.
Genetics, lifestyle, individual preferences, cravings,
and even personality come into play.
We all have a wide range of genes, backgrounds,
and other influencing factors.
Three of us could eat the exact same foods
and exercise exactly the same ways,
and we would still look like three different people.
Now on a biological level,
yes, our bodies are like bio-computers,
they know what they need to thrive.
Nutrition approaches, like Ayurveda and body type tests,
try to account for these differences by making suggestions
based on various broad constitutions.
However, as Joshua says, the best science is your science.
Unfortunately, on a psychological level,
many of us perpetually ignore that science.
We try to outsmart our own eating intuition.
We think that we know what's best for us,
but in the end, we develop maladaptive coping strategies
to help us deal with stress
that we can't seem to get away from.
We work so hard to mold ourselves
into what we think we should be
that we lose parts of ourselves in the process.
We decide to try intermittent fasting
because isn't challenging our willpower good for us.
We decide to go 100% Paleo because aren't carbs bad anyway?
We decide to go vegan
because won't we feel better about ourselves.
Why is this?
Why do we think we know better than our bodies?
Why do we think we should do these things?
Why do we attach a label to everything?
In part because of the cultural messages we receive.
Our culture plays a significant role in our body image.
We live in a society where the expert, not the individual,
knows best and where we need
to try new keys to health right now
in order to live a happy and physically ideal life.
For example, "What do you mean
you haven't tried bulletproof coffee?
Haven't you heard about
how it helps you lose weight while drinking butter?"
Or "What do you mean you still eat pasta?
Haven't you heard to avoid all white foods?"
We are constantly bombarded with mixed messages
that lead us every which way
and leave us without any clear answers.
We are continually led away from ourselves
from what our bodies want and need and our own intuition.
We are constantly led away
from empowerment and the confidence
that we are our own best experts
and that we can find
our own version of health and happiness.
We are led away from the important idea that health,
happiness, and body shape are one-size-fits-none.
To put it bluntly, insecurity sells,
but that insecurity can be toxic.
At the end of the day,
marketing is all about creating a need
and then selling people something to meet that need.
Try to go through one day without hearing or seeing an ad
that makes you feel like you could be better, healthier,
happier, or more attractive than you are now.
It's tough.
In fact, head online right now
and search for top healthy food trends.
No, really, go ahead, I'll be here waiting.
What did you find?
Be honest.
See anything you want to try?
I know that I usually want
to try something new after doing this.
It is virtually impossible to not be affected,
whether consciously or subconsciously
by a continual influx of messages
communicating how we can better ourselves.
Study after study after study demonstrates
how media can drastically impact body image concerns.
Women tend to struggle more than men
regardless of weight or shape,
and their dissatisfaction seems to be increasing over time.
However, men can be impacted as well.
Let's recap.
Trying to fit into an ideal is often futile
because ideals are bio-individual.
They are unique based on genetics, lifestyle,
individual preferences and cravings, and personality.
The best version of you is not the best version of me.
A desire to fit into an ideal can stem from marketing
because insecurity sells.
Trying to achieve this ideal can lead us away
from self-connection, self-acceptance, self-trust,
personal values, and empowerment.
And it can negatively impact body image
and motivate maladaptive coping habits,
like emotional eating.
We constantly receive messages from the media
and these messages affect us.
Sometimes they empower us, and sometimes they don't,
sometimes they're inclusive,
and sometimes they motivate us
to conform to a mythical ideal.
It's virtually impossible not to be affected.
We'll talk more about the connection
between body image and emotional eating soon.
For now, try applying this material.
We've included an exercise handout called Fitting In,
spend about 15 to 20 minutes with this handout.
We've also included a done-for-you handout of this exercise
that you can use with clients.
As always, share your reflections on the exercises
with your course mates in the Facebook group
so that we can support and learn from each other.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
I'll see you soon.