Today’s Social Media Trends and their Influence on Body Image (Part 3)

This is Part 3 of a 3-part discussion on the various aspects social media has impact on body image.  You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

Can social media be supportive of body diversity and inclusion? – The rise of size inclusive and body positive content

It’s very clear that the sea of content that promotes poor body image outweighs in numbers compared to body promotion content. However, that doesn’t mean there is no value in what currently exists on social media that promote body positivity and bring awareness. There are a number of individuals and even companies on the rise who regularly challenge the status quo around socially accepted body types and promote body inclusion and diversity. For example, Dove is well-known for creating informative and thought-provoking campaigns that bring awareness to the impact of social media on one’s self esteem and wellbeing. Both their ‘Cost of Beauty’(7) and ‘Reverse Selfie – Have the #TheSelfieTalk (8) campaigns aim to bring awareness on the harms of social media at a young age and encourage discussion around more body inclusive and self acceptance messaging. Several of their short films also highlight a broader range of body types and ethnicities, which better reflect the true diversity of humans in the world. 

Tik Tok and Instagram influencers with good intentions who promote body liberation or size inclusive content, such as Chrissy King, Tori Block, Sarah Nicole, Remi Jo, and Tiffany Ima are also on the rise. Their messaging is centred around priority for self-love, body acceptance and being mindful of health metrics that go beyond weight and body physique.

What can we do to foster a better relationship with our bodies?

Body liberation includes acceptance and appreciation of all bodies and appearances. Here are some approaches to support the journey towards body liberation and enhanced self esteem:

  • You are allowed to grieve- Letting go of the "body-ideal” can feel like a great loss. This ideal holds a lot of hope when we are going through tough times, it can offer a refuge and a way to cope when our current circumstance in body image causes a lot of pain. Be gentle and compassionate when you notice strong emotions arising as you are coming to terms with the cost of holding on to this ideal. Let yourself go through the 5-stages of body grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) because it can be a necessary and cathartic process towards liberation.

  • Start with body neutrality - Body positivity itself can be a bit of a stretch and out of reach for many, especially if one starts off with extreme body dissatisfaction. A more realistic starting point might be acknowledging that we don’t have to love everything about the way our body looks but we work towards body respect and appreciation as a first approach. We try to find a middle ground between the two opposite ends of the spectrum of body dissatisfaction/poor body image and body positivity. This might look like doing caring acts for the body that include adequate nutrition, joyful movement, proper sleep and reducing stress. Eventually, you may desire to reach healthy, sustainable goals as something you would do for yourself and not for other people.


  • Surround yourself with a supportive community – As much as social media can be a toxic outlet, it can also be a source of body encouraging content as we identified. Regularly being shown a diversity of bodies where people also outwardly express their happiness for, makes others feel better in their own body, and can feel more relatable to everyday people. Similarly, step away from conversations from individuals who leave you feeling like you are not enough or do not have the right body type and instead, enhance the relationships with those who genuinely care with good intention.


  • Educating about media use – Being cautious of harmful health related advice and helping others understand how media affects us is key, especially at a young age. The early and late teens are a time when physical body changes (puberty) happen and when teens are more susceptible to body dissatisfaction. The physical changes in their body are also greatly aligned with the desire for approval from their peers (9). Parents of youth can provide education on how social media often distorts our perceptions of body image and impact our mental health and behaviours (10). In doing so, parents can help youth understand what is harmful about the online messaging and encourage them to ask for support when needed. When the messaging around body appreciation is delivered, it can lead to more preventive health behaviours and lessen the likelihood of harmful dieting or following weight loss trends (11).


  • Explore and challenge current beliefs about bodies- Check out the principles for Health at Every Size® (HAES) and watch this short, adorable video on why our societal construct of ideal bodies is rooted in biased health care research.


  • Seek additional help from a professional if needed – If you recognize that yourself or a loved one is engaging in self harming behaviours such as disordered eating as a consequence of body dissatisfaction, please consider medical professional help. A medical team can make the appropriate referrals to support an individual to recovery and that may involve an anti-diet, size inclusive dietitian. They can play an important role in supporting someone's journey towards healing their relationship with food and body and reduce harmful disordered eating behaviors. In conjunction with therapy, they can echo similar messages when navigating self-compassion and addressing weight and body image in a sensitive and understanding way.

As we know, social media does not tell the whole story.

The pressure to meet society’s standards can significantly erode one’s self-esteem and fuel a toxic cycle of comparison.  It can be difficult to stop comparing ourselves to others but remember that social media never gives you the big picture of anyone’s health. Additionally, social media can be a double-edged sword at times, capable of reducing or uplifting our body image and perceived self worth. In creating safe spaces to promote body acceptance, inclusion and diversity, let’s remember to seek support when needed, create opportunities for open honest discussions, take part in supportive communities, and encourage all to create their own meaningful identities around body image and health.

Reflection

  • What are your thoughts about body liberation and HAES?

  • Do you notice any strong feelings arising in this discussion? What questions do you have?

  • Take a moment to reflect and validate any emotions that comes up, we invite you to continue to consider the many perspectives involved in body-image and social media discussions. If you have capacity, continue to observe and listen with an open-mind and open-heart as we are all still learning and evolving together.

Blog written by Sharon Sun, RD

Reviewed and edited by Abby Hsiao, RD

Disclaimer: the information provided is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose or treat a medical disease. It is strictly for informational purposes. Consult with your medical provider such as a dietitian before implementing any dietary changes, the information provided does not replace medical advice provided by your healthcare provider.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————--

Work Cited:

  1. "National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) (n.d.)." National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), edited by Douglas Bunnell, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics/

  2. Alfonso-Fuertes, I., Alvarez-Mon, M. A., Del Hoyo, R. S., Ortega, M. A., Alvarez-Mon, M., & Molina-Ruiz, R. M. (2023). Time Spent on Instagram and Body Image, Self-esteem, and Physical Comparison Among Young Adults in Spain: Observational Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7(1), e42207.

  3. (8)  Boers, E., Afzali, M. H., Newton, N., & Conrod, P. (2019). Association of screen time and depression in adolescence. JAMA pediatrics, 173(9), 853-859.

  4. (3) What Students Are Saying About How Social Media Affects Their Body Image (2022, March). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-how-social-media-affects-their-body-image.html

  5. Jubilee (2024). How Does Body Image Affect These 100 Women [Online video].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKadS1nDcR0

  6. Montgomery Sklar, E. (2017). Body image, weight, and self-concept in men. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 11(3), 252-258.

  7. Dove US (2023). Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film | Dove Self-Esteem Project.  [Online video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngESNoacxM

  8. Dove US (2021). Dove | Reverse Selfie |Have #TheSelfietalk  [Online video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngESNoacxM

  9. Hupp, S., & Jewell, J. D. (Eds.). (2020). The encyclopedia of child and adolescent development. Wiley-Blackwell.

  10. Pedalino, F., & Camerini, A. L. (2022). Instagram use and body dissatisfaction: the mediating role of upward social comparison with peers and influencers among young females. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1543.

  11. Thomas, E. V., & Warren-Findlow, J. (2020). Body image, self-esteem, and behavioral risk for chronic disease among college students: Additional evidence for integrated prevention. Journal of American College Health, 68(6), 658-665.

Previous
Previous

Client Quote #15: flat stomachs

Next
Next

Client Quote #14: Memory Loss