[CHAT] Body image & health at every size!
Body image is one of the major issues that we all face in different ways every day. Regardless of weight and height, it is always in our minds and we always want to be different or to want what other's have. Whether it's losing weight, gaining weight or having muscles we are always striving for what we think is better, to the point that it might break down our sense of self and bring down our self esteem
Health at Every Size (HAES) is a peaceful movement that acknowledges that it is very important to be healthy but that does not mean that a particular size cannot be healthy. It supports that people of all sizes can adopt healthy behaviours.
Accepting your body the way that it is, takes so much strength and power. Full acceptance means letting go of society's ideas of how we should be and also loving ourselves the way we are without comparison, and this is so hard to do. I'm sure if I asked you guys what do you want to change about yourself, you could write a long list without hesitation, but if I asked what do you love about your body, some of you might stop and think for a while.
So what can we do about this? How can we love ourselves more and accept ourselves more every day? Come join us in this GR session, where we explore what it means to be Healthy at Every Size, and can we sign up to this and change our lives and our bodies and our minds forever?
Before you come to the session, check this out for more information on HAES - cant wait to have this chat on Monday 4th May at 8pm.
What's one way you will challenge negative body image this week?
I will keep a positive mind frame, take care of me, stay positive and that is the best way to challenge it.
8. What are your three favourite things about your body?
1. My hair
2. My smile
3. My hips
I think they are some really insightful points CeeGee 🙂
When I was younger I relied on my parents to protect me from the media. I wasnt allowed to read magazines or anything like that. I beleived that this was a mistake and that I should have explored the social media and made my own descision. it is only through trial and error and developing my beleifs am I able to maintain the understanding between fit and thin
Welcome Elsie 🙂
It's definitely difficult. I guess you're parents were trying to protect you from the power that the media has on our lives. However learning how to deal with the information the media presents us is definitely an individual journey as we all go about it differently
Thanks for the Welcome's.Social media is a beast to be neutralized. However because of the shielding i developed a system of beleifs where in my mind everyone else was anorexic or dangerously sick and I was a normal healthy weight. But exposure to social media has helped me to balance out my sense of reality.
I agree with that, forming your own beliefs, what you will and wont stand for. That is so important to do.
7. So, with the media constantly telling us what we should look like, how is it possible to challenge such a powerful institution
I've actually gotten really good at filtering it out. It's like I don't even take any notice of it anymore. I don't know how I managed to do it. Maybe I just got so used to seeing it everywhere that I became desensitised to it.
It is hard though, the media is saturated with images of how we should loook
So, with the media constantly telling us what we should look like, how is it possible to challenge such a powerful institution
I just stopped comparing myself, like if I see women on TV or mags I can appreciate their beauty and acknowledge it without saying man I wish I looked like that. I think we can live with media but we don't need to embody it in our lives.
‘healthy at every size’ (that supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control)?
This, just this, needs to be printed everywhere. People have the complete wrong idea (thank you pop culture) about health and wellbeing because it's treated as a race to skinny. Many people get to "skinny" and hate it, I am starting to see more and more articles from women on the topic (you go girls!). I love this idea so much because it's real. It promotes real wellness and not unhealthy obsessions
I think it's definitely a very comforting and reassuring message Rue 🙂 Knowing that I'm generally quite a health and active person actually makes me think a lot less about the way I look as well!
Comforting is actually the perfect word for it. Because at the end of the day you're you, and you're the only one and that's rad.
That's so true CeeGee 🙂 Everyone is unique and special in their own ways.
Awesome response CeeGee! I completely agree with you! Promoting health and wellness is such an important message to get across to absolutely everybody.
5. What do you think about the concept of being ‘healthy at every size’ (that supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control)?
I think it's a very important movement for both men and women. In the end, health is so important and dictates so much of how we live our lives. However, I think it's a very difficult concept for a lot of people to understand and accept
What do you think about the concept of being ‘healthy at every size’ (that supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control)?
It makes a lot of sense for sure - it's super important to place the emphasis on being healthy and happy rather than on weight.
I have heard some criticisms though based around the possibility that there may be some situations where health is not actually attainable without some weight loss. I guess we're talking about serious obesity here though. It's great to embrace our bodies no matter what size or shape, but we also need to be realistic about what a healthy body is defined by. Interesting to think about I guess.
