Body Image: The New Drug

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Millions of people are affected by negative body image. From this, low self-esteem, plastic surgery, and body-alterations are trending. What part of our media and culture is contributing to negative body image? The epidemic of negative body image has become a popular discussion and the discussion has led to changes in our culture, like plus-size models and the discouragement of photoshopped images. With Megan King of Crossings Community Church we dive deeper into the hot topic of negative body image.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

More than 90 percent of girls – 15 to 17 years – want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest.

Girls’ self-esteem peaks when they are 9 years old. (McGraw, Carol, “Media, hormones, peer pressure do a number on girls’ confidence”, The News-Sentinel, Mon, Jul. 31, 2006)

80% of children who are 10 years old are afraid of being fat. (Source)

9 million teens in America below 15 years are obese, that’s three times more than in 1980. (Source)

Obese boys and girls have significantly lower self-esteem than their non-obese peers. (Source)

Up to 12% of teen boys are using unproven supplements and/or steroids.

Nearly a quarter of girls age 15-17 would consider undergoing plastic surgery. (Source)

13 percent of girls age 15-17 acknowledge having an eating disorder. (Source)

7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way including their looks, performance in school and relationships.

80% of 10-year-old girls have dieted. 90% of high school junior and senior women diet regularly. Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.

The top wish among all girls is for their parents to communicate better with them which includes, more frequent and more open conversations, as well as discussions about what is happening in their own lives.