Body-Image Help

How to Help Someone with Body-Image Disturbance

How to Help Someone with Body-Image Disturbance Men and women can learn to make peace with their bodies—no matter what their size or shape. In fact, it is self-love and acceptance that promotes the self-care and self-nurturing necessary for high esteem.

Recent studies indicate that self-esteem and body-esteem are very closely linked and have little relation to actual physical attractiveness. Thus, the true indicator of a good body-image is good self-esteem—as opposed to being able to fit into a certain size pair of jeans.

The following suggestions can help promote better body-esteem for every body.

• Base compliments on attributes other than size, weight, or shape.
• Minimize "diet" and weight talk.
• Never joke about or shame anyone because of his/her weight or shape.
• Examine your own attitudes and preferences about weight and size.
• Raise your own and others' consciousness about the cultural bias regarding thinness.
• Believe that a person's body distortion is real for him/her (not just attention-getting), and respond in an empathic manner.
• Be knowledgeable about professional resources for help. These include dietitians, psychologists, body-image specialists, the Personal Counseling Center, etc.
• Discourage dieting or weight-loss fads, and instead, encourage a wellness lifestyle.
• Don't equate thinness with happiness.
• Remember that there is no "ideal" body. Beautiful bodies come in all sizes and shapes.

Source: The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders

Personal Counseling Center
Campus location: 631 Niagara St., 2nd FL
Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Evening Hours by Appointment
Phone: (716) 829-7819

Kim Zittel, LMHC, NCC
Director, Personal Counseling Center
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
National Certified Counselor

Tim Bronson, Psy.D., LMHC, NCC
Personal Counselor, Personal Counseling Center
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
National Certified Counselor

Isabel Molina, APRN BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

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