For some people the relationship between food and body image might be difficult and lead to problems with eating or eating disorders.

Body Image

• Is how you believe, feel, and perceive your body.
  
  

Positive Body Image

• Feeling good and accepting your body.
  
  

Top Ten Steps To A Positive Image

To help you think about new ways of looking more healthily at yourself and your body.

1. Celebrate all of the amazing things your body does for you--moving, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc.
2. Keep a "Top 10" list of things you like about yourself-things that aren't related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read your list often.
3. Remind yourself that "true beauty" is not simply skin-deep. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body.
4. Look at yourself as a whole person. When you see yourself in a mirror or in your mind, choose not to focus on specific body parts.
5. Surround yourself with positive people for support.
6. Shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not "right."
7. Work with your body, not against it. Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body.
8. Become a critical viewer of social and media messages.
9. Do something nice for yourself - Take a bubble bath, make time for a nap, find a peaceful place outside to relax.
10. Do something to help others - Sometimes reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can make a positive change in our world.

Negative Body Image

• Not liking your body, feeling ashamed of your body's appearance.
  
  

Eating Disorders

• Are intense fears of weight gain, leading to extreme attempts to control body weight.
• Commonly affects people between 14 and 25 years of age.
• In Ontario, there are 70,000 people with eating disorders
• Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are common eating disorders
  
  

Anorexia Nervosa

• An extreme pursuit to be thin
• Person weighs 85% or less than what is expected for age and height.
• In women, menstrual periods stop. In men, levels of hormones fall.
• Reports feeling fat even when very thin.
• Exercise intensely and more often than is healthy.
  

Bulimia Nervosa

• Cycles of binge eating and purge to prevent weight gain.
• Frequent intake of a large amount of food in short period of time.
• Frequent purge by behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, fasting, and/or strict exercise to prevent weight gain.
• Generally in the normal weight range
• Feeling of low self-esteem, shame, and failure and out of control of behaviour.
  
  

Binge Eating Disorder

• Uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating to the point of serious discomfort.
• Eats alone and when not hungry
• Feel embarrassed of eating behaviour.
• Feel disgusted with body, depressed, or guilty after overeating
• Do not engage in purging behaviours characteristic of bulimia.
  
  

Who Can Help

National Eating Disorders Information Center (NEDIC)
CW 1-211 200 Elizabeth Street
Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4
(416) 340-4156 or 1-888-633-4220
(416) 340-4736 fax
nedic@uhn.on.ca

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Association
767 Bayridge Drive
P.O.Box 20058
Kingston, ON, K7P 1C0
(613) 547-3684
anab@www.ams.queensu.ca

Sheena's Place
87 Spadina Road
Toronto, ON, M5R 2T1
(416) 927-8900
(416) 927-8844 fax
www.sheenasplace.org

References

Firestone, P. & Marshal, L.W. (2003). Abnormal Psychology Perspectives. 2nd ed. Toronto: Prentice Hall.
Murphy, B. & Manning, Y. (2004). An introduction to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Nursing Standard, 18, 45-55.
National Eating Disorder. (2002). Eating Disorders Information Index. Seattle, WA: National Eating Disorder Association. Retrieved from www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
National Eating Disorders Information Center. (1998). Eating Disorder Glossary. Toronto: NEDIC. Retrieved from http://www.nedic.ca.