Friday, July 01, 2005

Repeat After Me: "I Love My Body"

It's not really clear who did this study, or how accurate the numbers are. But it has the depressing ring of truth.

There is no let up in the constant barrage of criticism and overweight women in particular say they suffer deep 'self-loathing' (83%), 'body hatred' (89%), 'depression' (91%) and 'utter despair' (79%). They feel 'angry with themselves' (97%), 'insecure' (87%), 'inadequate' (80%) and 'worthless' (61%). In fact, two thirds of overweight women say they have felt 'life's not worth living' (65%) and one in 10 'frequently feels this way.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This was commissioned by Slimming World - so it really makes me wonder how skewed the data is.

1:26 PM  
Blogger K said...

Yes, I was about to post a comment to the same effect.

I also wonder how they collected their sample group. I mean, if they were standing near the changing rooms of certain clothes shops with a clipboard, I'd probably own up to hating my appearance and wanting to die if they asked me. Twenty minutes later, I would have got over it.

I suspect that they probably asked questions at Slimming World meetings - in which case the sample would be made up entirely of people who seriously intend to change their appearance, no? I'm not saying everyone who does Slimming World (or WW or similar) is consumed by self-loathing, but why would you do a programme like that if you love your body exactly as it is?

It is certain that there are many people out there with poor body image, who are suffering because of it. On the other hand, I think the figures they're quoting are probably somewhat pessimistic.

1:36 AM  
Blogger Joanna S Kelley said...

I was about to ask what slimming world was when I saw the comparison to WW. Yeah, when I went to WW I felt continually embittered and depressed. I know it helps some people, but the whole "group therapy" approah just didn't do it for me. I felt more broken and more messed up as opposed to less. I can see why a lot of women there would respond negatively to those questions.

11:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What can I say. I am a 47 year old daughter, mom, grandmother who doesn't love her body. I love the Lord for giving it to me but I have destroyed it. It is too fat and uglly in my eyes and others. I don't like to go anywhere or do anything. I lost weight before down to a really small size by exercising and looked/felt good. I got too much attention from men and felt uncomfortable with it. I had been abused when I was small and perhaps that all had something to do with it. But I couldn't take the men coming on to me as a smaller well built me.
So now I am back to a me that I still am not comfortable with. I hate this me. I know my husband doesn't like my weight anymore then I do. He goes with other woemn. So maybe I just eat and hope I will just disappear or perhaps lose enough to just disapper. One or the other would likely work. To put on clothes and stand in a mirror is a very painful process and not something i enjoy anymore. I hope one day I will.

6:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i need help i dont like myself small or large

7:02 PM  

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