Scientists have discovered that the body image a person projects in their own brain is “massively distorted” and can be up to two thirds wider than it is in reality. The brain’s own “body model” is also around a third shorter than the body actually is, according to the study at University College London.
The scientists who conducted the study think that this may offer new insights into those affected by eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
I was sort of comforted reading about this study as I'm prone to anxiety about my weight and body image. I was a very skinny kid. Adulthood came along and these days I'm... not so skinny. I spend way too much time worrying about my weight and the size labels inside my clothes. The image perpetuated by the fashion industry (remember when we talked about this?) certainly doesn't help when we're surrounded by images of an "ideal" most of us will never meet. It makes sense to me that so many of us are walking around with a mental self-image that doesn't match the reality when we're constantly comparing ourselves to those ideals.
But next time you look in the mirror and feel like you're having a "fat day," take a deep breath and be a little kinder to yourself - it's not as bad as you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment