What Is A Bad Body Image

Young girls and boys struggle with body image quickly after entering middle school. They begin to notice others and judge themselves based on how their peers look. Not only their appearance, but on how they are treated just because of how they look. It comes naturally to look at other people and wish you had their hair or those shoes, but unfortunately those simple thoughts can turn into something much more. Body image for teenage girls and boys in the United States is extremely objective as the media portrays that only skinny people are considered beautiful. Young men and women suffering with poor body image can be affected with eating disorders, depression, or even thoughts of suicide.
To begin, many people who suffer with a poor body image
Depression is commonly known and affects millions of people throughout the world. The National Institute of Mental Health (2016) supports that depression is feelings of intense sadness that interferes with everyday life. A teenager who is severely disconnected with them self, and is truly dissatisfied with the way their body looks can become depressed. They may feel hopeless and give up entirely on the way they look. These feelings can harm their daily lives and destroy their feelings of self-worth. On the other end, The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2014) report, in extreme situations of poor self-image, a person can become so obsessed with their body image they can develop body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). A person suffering from BDD has an opposed image of themselves and cannot control rejecting the way they look, regardless of what others may say to persuade them otherwise. These feelings of poor self-image trigger a deep depression. Research shows that men and women are affected equally with nearly one percent of the population, and it usually begins in the teenage years. Statics show that environmental factors that influence a person’s self-image include media, family and social peers. Those with BDD obsess over their appearance, spending too much time attempting to fix whatever they see flawed or even
Their perceived thoughts of what is considered attractive are drawn from the media, what their peers may say or even parental figures. As poor body image continues to grow deeper into a psychological problem the worse their symptoms may be. Low self-esteem can turn into extremely unhealthy behaviors, as their self-image decreases so do their feelings of self-worth thus resulting in the adolescent having the potential of taking their own live. It is important to always remember to build others up instead of tearing them down, and be kind to everyone because you never know what that person may be going