Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are widespread and have serious physical and psychological impacts on those affected. Their causes are complex and varied, but (unsurprisingly) concerns about body image have been identified as an important factor in these illnesses (Cooley & Toray, 2001). Unhealthy concerns about one’s physical appearance can lead to body avoidance, where a person dresses in baggy clothes for example, or avoids looking in the mirror; to excessive body checking, such as constantly and critically looking in mirrors; and / or being acutely aware of not matching the ideal body images constantly being portrayed in the media around us (and which most of us bear no resemblance to!).
The practice of Mindfulness promotes patterns in thinking which directly challenge the unhelpful behaviours described above. Mindfulness is a type of meditation which encourages the individual to direct their attention to whatever they are physically or emotionally experiencing in the present moment, in an accepting and non-judgemental way. Over time, an individual may become less critical of themselves – not constantly comparing themselves to others or ideals – and less preoccupied with scrutinising or avoiding the sight of their own body.
On this basis, Alberts, Thewissen and Raes (2012) hypothesised that increased levels of mindfulness would be likely to be associated with lower levels of concern over body image. A sample of 26 adult women were assessed for their baseline levels of mindfulness and body image concern, using standardised questionnaires. All women had reported some type of difficulty in their relationship with food or controlling their weight, but none were diagnosed as having a clinical eating disorder. Half of the women were then given an 8 week mindfulness training course, with daily exercises to promote awareness of their physical sensations and thoughts relating to eating, food and their bodies. At the end of the study, the women who underwent the training showed a significant increase in mindfulness, and a significant reduction in body image concern, relative to the control group.
According to chemist You-Ping Zhu, co-writer of The Chinese Materia Medica 5 cialis 40 mg % of Yin Yang Huo users has been cured from bronchitis, and more spectacular than the other patients with usual treatment. The tablet not only prevents the individual from reaching orgasm too quickly but also helps tadalafil canadian pharmacy prolong erection during intercourse. Powerful herbs in these high quality herbal pills are touted to increase semen release naturally and help to enjoy enhanced cialis samples more information sexual pleasure in copulation. Adjustable cock rings cheapest generic cialis manufactured from rawhide or leather straps are simpler for newcomers to make use of because the match is often transformed, and using them off is more manageable. These findings therefore suggest that encouraging the practice of mindfulness could be a valuable step towards combating negative body image, and the more serious eating disorders it can lead to.
Cooley, E., & Toray, T. (2001). Body image and personality predictors of eating disorder symptoms during the college years. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 28–36.
Alberts, H.J.E.M., Thewissen, R. and Raes, L. (2012). Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite, 58, 847-851.