A lot of people struggle with body image a little bit. However, studies show that women struggle more than men. Experts suggest that it’s partially because of how society and the media focus on weight and beauty. Women and body image issues can lead to severe mental disorders that require a professional’s help.
What Are Body Image Issues? What Causes Them?
To better understand body image issues, it’s important to know that it refers to how people see themselves. They have an issue with how they perceive their appearance. When they have a distorted self-body image, they typically set unrealistic expectations of how they look. In the end, they could develop eating disorders to reach these unrealistic goals.
However, what causes negative body image issues? Like any disorder, many factors can make people develop a negative body image of themselves. Sometimes it develops after a traumatic event. For example, maybe family members or close friends make fun of their weight, which makes them question their appearance.
Other times, these issues develop because of the media. People see thin or in-shape women all the time in magazines, on TV, and throughout social media. Young women start to think that this is how they should look. What they don’t understand is that magazines and TV programs use editing to make models and actresses look flawless.
Trying to look as flawless as these women is impossible, even for the models themselves. However, some women are unable to come to grips with this concept. From there, they develop body image issues.
Signs of Women and Body Image Issues
How does someone know if a woman suffers from body image issues? Like any disorder, they can look for symptoms such as:
- Frequently comparing their shape to other people’s
- Scrutinizing themselves in the mirror
- Showing envy over their friends’ or celebrities’ bodies
- Developing an eating disorder
Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues
Body image issues and eating disorders go hand in hand. When people don’t like how their bodies look, they change what they eat to change their bodies. In most cases, this includes limiting or purging the food that they eat. However, this behavior leads to life-threatening conditions.
Overcoming eating disorders requires help from professionals. Through the use of therapy, they can address the source of the problem.
Let Red Oak Recovery Help You Overcome Eating Disorders
Do you need an anorexia or bulimia treatment center in NC? Do you or a loved one suffer from body image issues? If so, visit the experts at Red Oak Recovery. We help people overcome everything from addiction to eating disorders.
Red Oak Recovery is proud to offer a wide range of treatment programs. Beyond eating disorder treatment, we provide programs such as:
- Young adult rehab programs
- Individual and group therapies
- Residential rehab
- Gender-specific treatment
- Family therapy
- Trauma therapy
Don’t live under the burden of women and body image issues. Get the help that you need to overcome these issues at Red Oak Recovery. Reach out to our friendly and helpful staff today at 828.382.9699.
