Body Image Obsession

Individuals suffering from eating disorders frequently have negative feelings about their body and are over concerned about their body size and weight. They may participate in certain behaviors and hold particular beliefs that negatively reinforce a poor body image. The following is a partial list of some of the signs and symptoms of being overly effected by body image.

Thoughts about “feeling fat” Feeling shameful and guilty about your body Is done on purpose, with an intent to cause harm Avoidance of social situations that emphasis physical appearance Looking at others to see how your own body size compares to others

Weight determines how good you feel about yourself:

What you weigh affects your relationships Pinching of body parts to measure fatness Checking of reflection in glass windows to see how your body looks Having special clothes that are used to make sure your body is certain size Having clothes that do not fit to entice self to loose weight Touching underneath the chin to check for a “double chin”

Feeling you can not give a speech or make a presentation based on the way you look:

Missing school based on feeling you have gained weight

Checking the diameter of the wrist for size maintenance:

Missing school based on feeling you have gained weight Asking others about weight to compare your own weight to others Asking others about clothing size to compare your own clothing size to others Attempting to elicit comments from others about how fat you are Embarrassment about body weight Checking to see how close thighs are together when standing up Checking for cellulite in thighs Sucking in your stomach in front of a mirror to see what it looks like Preferring to only wear baggy clothes Pinching of cheeks to measure fatness Difficulty undressing in front of spouse or other loved ones Comparing own body to people on television, movies and magazines Checking to see it body parts giggle Checking to see if rings still fits as in the past Checking to make sure same belt hole is used as in the past Checking to see if you can feel your bones Weighing of self multiple times Fear of weighing oneself Making negative comments about your body to others Difficulty taking compliments from others about the way you look