Body Image – Irrelevant or Important in Addressing Weight Stigma?
Recent feminist blogs have suggested that body image – positive or negative – should be irrelevant…that we should not have to “love our bodies.” First, I wholeheartedly agree with the feminist perspective that weight stigma is a true problem in our society. I also recognize that our advertising industry encourages us to spend too much time and energy focused on our appearance when there are many other worthwhile causes needing support. Additionally, I passionately affirm the argument that we, as women, are so much more than what we look like. In some of the articles, however, there seems to be condescension toward encouraging all women to “love their bodies” – and I do not feel this is a helpful message. I have a one year old daughter, and I agree that I would rather individuals not comment about her appearance upon meeting her because this teaches young girls that they are valued based primarily on this one dimension. As a body image and eating disorder treatment specialist, howeve...