Q How do I deal with my body image concerns? Thanks S.
Hi S, this is an increasing issue as technology and social media now allow people to create picture perfect images of celebrities and influencers. These images are often digitally enhanced, and this has become almost impossible to detect as AI is increasingly used to create seamless images. I have encountered many situations where I have seen images of people posted to the internet, which bear very little resemblance to the person in real life. Remember that influencers are there to do just that, influence you. They want you to buy products from the companies which are paying them a retainer to peddle them.
This has now moved into the general public’s social media where we have gone way beyond merely presenting ourselves in an attractive manner and are now regularly using photoshop and AI to doctor our images of ourselves. This has progressed to the point where often these images bear only a slight resemblance to the person who posts them. More importantly, it eliminates the normal look of faces and bodies and can lead to an unreal expectation of how one should look
It is normal and natural that we all want to be seen in the best way possible, however this moves into really damaging territory when we become obsessed with minor perceived flaws in our body or face. Sometimes described as body dysmorphia, this damaging behaviour can lead to serious problems if the person engaged becomes so fixated on chasing perfection that they pursue outcomes at huge expense and often great pain and damage to themselves and their personal relationships.
Our bodies are not perfect in the sense that they are not exactly symmetrical or absolutely free of any marks or features. Even the language we use describing these as flaws or blemishes is designed to encourage us to see our normal human features as imperfections. Whilst there is definitely a place for intervention when issues with how our body works come in to play to the extent that it causes us great pain or prevents us living full and enjoyable lives, it does not make sense to risk our mental and physical health with cosmetic procedures designed only to ameliorate our perceived imperfections.
Perfection is not truly attainable whilst quality is very much achievable. When it comes to our bodies, we need to realise that they are wonderous creations and are the vehicles that allow us to live a quality life if we are willing to accept and appreciate them and all they can do for us. There is a clear difference between putting in an effort to make our bodies operate as effectively as we can or being dissatisfied with perceived minor imperfections which have been amplified by the media and the exploding business of cosmetic medicine.
As the song writer and singer Steven Stills sang years ago “Honey, love the one you’re with”