Which cat are you? (BODY IMAGE)

Positive body image and benefits for consideration as part of health and wellbeing.

You can’t tell from looking at someone if they have a positive body image. It’s not about having a great body or even loving everything about it. It’s about the Cat who happily looks in the mirror and loves, honours, respects and appreciates its body¹ despite what the other Cats’ meow. 

There were numerous valuable sessions at the 2019 World Congress on Positive Psychology, including Professor Marika Tiggemann from Flinders University who provided an insightful overview of positive body image and the predictors and benefits from the research to date. 

Self-esteem, optimism, improved healthier practices and protection against damaging media exposure were just some of the benefits correlated with positive body image from multiple research sources. 

Even in the workplace we see the difference between people with a positive and a negative body image. The negative seems to affect people’s confidence (and body image doesn’t seem to discriminate, other than it tends to improve as we age).

If we can find a way to foster and nurture positive body image in people, it could positively impact people’s health and wellbeing. We see momentum in the social movement around Positive Body Image and it’s time for the corporate world to consider it as part of the ever-increasing health and wellbeing programs.

To address any potential “fat-shamers” or people wanting to criticise a lack of willingness for people to take care of themselves, it was shared that research shows being dissatisfied with your body is not a motivator to take care of it, in fact the opposite. And all the research correlations showing benefits of a positive body image were irrespective of BMI.

Professor Tiggemann's tips for nurturing a positive body image in yourself and others;

·     Appreciate what your body can do 

·     Focus on the strengths, not the imperfections

·     Mindful self-care and self-compassion

·     Activities like yoga, walk in nature, meditation, running

·     Don’t compare yourself to others

Please comment or share your thoughts. If anyone wants to further the discussion or explore strategies to incorporate Positive Body Image into workplace programs, please comment BOPO and we’ll connect. 

(¹Definition of positive body image above adapted from definition from Tylka & Wood-Barcalow 2015)

Article published on Linkedin in July 2019
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-cat-you-amalia-chilianis/