Is the body the self? Women and body image.
This paper discusses how women's body image or experience of the body influences their identity and self-image. What are the implications of this tendency to equate the body and the self? For many women, being a dieter represents not only something that they do, but also an important aspect of how they see themselves. We propose that choosing to become a chronic dieter is a means of regulating not just one's feelings, but also one's identity and self-image when those central aspects of the self feel threatened. Weight-loss dieting is often unsuccessful, however, and repeated dieting attempts may increase weight as often as they reduce it, so using body shape to determine self-worth or identity is a maladaptive strategy for most women.
Polivy
Janet
J
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. jpolivy@utm.utoronto.ca
Herman
Peter
P
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001828:Body Image; D004032:Diet; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012933:Social Identification