What Social Media Tells You about Your Body

Whether we’d like to admit it or not, social media is shaping our concept of beauty. It has a huge impact on our body image and relationship with food, and that is due to the increased exposure to the slim-thick body types and particular diets.

Social media in today’s societies influences how we look at ourselves both positively and negatively; hence, it’s important that we understand the effects to limit their impact on our mental health.

And even though they can contribute to body dissatisfaction, mass media featuring thin ideal images are popular forms of media. Many women and men often choose to expose themselves to idealized body images that are featured in the media.

This may also influence our eating patterns and diets. Since our mind and body are connected, and often what we think about our body image influences our mood, and our mood influences our eating habits.

“Social media is a double-edged sword,” said the Nutritionist Shaymaa Akil. “On one hand, it creates a platform for nutritionists to send their ideas to the people, but on the other hand, it teaches both men and women that they should have the perfect body to be considered beautiful.”

This effect of social media is extremely problematic as it can lead to low self-esteem, an unbalanced diet, deficiencies of vitamins and minerals, and possibly eating disorders.

After all, we may develop disordered eating behaviors to reach our idealized body shape. We may struggle with Anorexia Nervosa, where we may try to lose weight by restricting the food we eat and overexercising.

 Nevertheless, a piece in Forbes offered tips for how social media users can maintain a positive outlook on their body image, including:

• Unfollow or unfriend accounts that try to sell you products with their bodies.
• Keep up with accounts that promote healthy living with information.
• Tap into the way body-positive influencers treat body image.
• Avoid speaking negatively about your body, especially in real life.
• Disconnect from social media to be active.

The problem isn’t with your body; the problem is what you think about your body. And what you think of it is directly related to what you expose yourself to, so choose wisely.