“Body dissatisfaction is so prevalent among women in our society that it isn’t very useful in identifying women who may have eating disorders,” said Tracy Tylka, author of a study recently published in a recent issue of the Journal of Counseling Psychology, and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University’s Marion campus.
She says that “About 3 to 8 percent of women have some type of eating disorder, but many women, perhaps most women, are dissatisfied with their bodies”.
The study identified the intensity of a common, everyday, action as a key to determining if a person was susceptible to developing an eating disorder. “Body surveillance” or continually looking at yourself in the mirror to see how you look and expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome, is the strongest factor among women who reported an eating disorder.
Of course we should not reach any conclusions based on a casual reading of a single study. Perhaps it’s enough that we can take away from it the concept that although we are all concerned to one degree or another with the way we look that our involvement with our appearance is perfectly normal – until it turns into something else.
Another study conducted independently at the University of Florida and reported in the September, 2009 issue of the Journal of Health Psychology may have the key to how we can keep our natural feelings of body dissatisfaction from becoming that “something else.” What is it?
In the days before our postmodern culture was taken over by those who are willing to grant universal self-esteem without effort or achievement, most people would have simply accepted this advice as common sense. Do something – even if it’s wrong.
Want to feel better about yourself and the way you look? Do something. Get off the couch. Get out of the house. Do a little exercise.
The best part of the University of Florida study is that it tells us that you really don’t have to get serious about this exercise thing to derive some healthy benefits out of it.
Heather Hausenblas of the University of Florida reviewed 57 intervention studies on the topic of exercise and how it makes people feel, and she concludes that “the simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better,” according to Professor Hausenblas.
The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines call for exercising at least 30 minutes a day five days a week to achieve the maximum body development benefits. Forget about it. The simple act of getting off the couch and going for a walk around the block is enough to get those good feelings moving your way.
The study showed that women who made the minimal effort to exercise, even in a casual, friendly way, were getting almost the same self-esteem boost as those folks pumping the pedals on those elliptical trainers down at Golds Gym five days a week.
Isn’t that good news? Don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good. You don’t have to know anything about the perfect abs exercise. Go for a walk. Say hello to your neighbors. Return the smiles. That person looking back at you in the mirror will be a whole lot happier for it.
Walking is a friendly exercise. Brooks walking shoes are engineered for comfort. Be kind to your feet and knees. Get a pair of Brooks women’s shoes.
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