Bodies come in a magnificent array of shapes and sizes. Yet, we live in a society that demands very specific appearance standards, many of which are known to be unrealistic and unattainable. It’s therefore no wonder that so many women and men experience body image concerns.

For many years, the “thin ideal” dominated Western cultures, and demanded that individuals achieve dangerously low body weights in order to attain social acceptance. More recently, the new “fitspiration” ideal – or, inspiration for fitness – has taken social media by storm. Today’s women and men are now expected to not only achieve extreme thinness, but also muscular definition… And so, frustratingly, the proverbial bar has shifted higher again. 

There are a multitude of problems with this. Firstly, research evidence suggests that when the media portrays “fitspiration” in a “successful” light, many individuals who do not physically resemble this image experience body dissatisfaction. This, unfortunately, is where “fat phobia” is born; people become terrified of body fat, because they have been consistently exposed to the message that it is unacceptable. Additionally, many individuals report experiencing weight stigma, or discrimination based on their physical appearance. Sadly, both fat phobia and weight stigma can lead to more significant consequences, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

Furthermore, evidence suggests that only a very small proportion of the population (<1%) can actually achieve societal appearance standards. And it doesn’t stop here; many images that portray the “fitspiration” ideal on social media are filtered, airbrushed, and photoshopped. Therefore, people are consistently comparing their appearances to images that do not naturally exist. It really isn’t a surprise, then, that more and more people are dissatisfied with the way they look.

The demand for psychology researchers to identify factors that might protect individuals against these saturating media messages has therefore never been higher. And so, in light of all of the above (as well as my own frustration towards the media and diet industry!), I set out to explore one such protective factor in a research study: self-compassion.

Self-Compassion and Body Image

According to Professor Paul Gilbert (2014), a renowned British clinical psychologist and founder of Compassion-Focused Therapy, compassion can be defined as ‘a sensitivity to suffering… with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent it’. Since humans are inherently social beings, compassion is often directed towards those around us. However, self-compassion involves directing this same approach – an attempt to understand and alleviate suffering – toward ourselves.

Associate Professor Kristin Neff, a psychology researcher from the USA, divided the practice of self-compassion into three components:

1)    Self-kindness: being kind, rather than judging, towards ourselves in the way we might a loved one;

2)    Common humanity: recognising that negative experiences are part of what it means to be human; and

3)    Mindfulness: observing all thoughts and feelings as they are, with acceptance, and without suppression or exaggeration.

When applied to body image, self-compassion is essentially 1) taking a kind, nurturing stance towards one’s body, 2) recognising that body-focused negativity is experienced by everyone at some point, and 3) being present with one’s body, rather than ruminating over its past or worrying about its future.

The Research Project 

For this particular project, I gathered adult women from across the globe to complete a survey online (men, don’t worry – you’re next on my list!). All women completed questions on basic demographics, as well as levels of self-compassion. Half the sample (the experimental group) then viewed “fitspiration” images commonly found on social media, whilst the other half (the control group) viewed social media travel images. Finally, all participants were asked to complete questions on 1) how much they found themselves comparing their appearance to others, and 2) how dissatisfied they were with their appearance.

The Results

The results of the study were very telling. Firstly, women who viewed “fitspiration” images reported much higher levels of body dissatisfaction than women who viewed travel images. This finding indicated that the “fitspiration” ideal really can significantly impact the way women feel about their own bodies. Remember, too, participants were only exposed over a very short period, so imagine the impact when images such as these are viewed multiple times a day!

Promisingly, significant results were also found for self-compassion. For both groups, women with higher levels of self-compassion were 1) less likely to compare their appearance with others and 2) less dissatisfied with their bodies overall. This finding was very exciting and suggested that the more compassionate women were towards themselves, the less they were influenced by the images they viewed, even if body-focused.   

So, What Next?

You might be wondering what kinds of things you can do to increase your levels of self-compassion and be less susceptible to the saturating messages of the media. Trying these few things regularly may help:

1)    Imagine what you might say to a close friend who has struggled with accepting or loving their body, and see what it feels like to say these things to yourself;

2)    Remind yourself that every single body on this earth is entirely different, so learning to appreciate the unique features of your own can be liberating;

3)    Take a moment several times a day to stop and notice parts of your body that you are grateful for; whether it’s eyes that remind you of your grandmother, legs that have carried you up a mountain, or a stomach that has grown your children;

4)    Recognise that images you see on social media signify mere moments in time and do not necessarily represent reality.

Finally, here at Person Centred Psychology and Allied Health, we are fortunate to have a team of psychologists and a highly skilled dietitian who specialise in treating body image concerns, from body dissatisfaction through to complex and enduring eating disorders. So, if you’re feeling that your body image concerns are beginning to become more severe or detract from other areas of your life, give us a call. We will be right there with you.