"Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. It encompasses: What you believe about your own appearance, how you feel about your body, and how you sense and control your body as you move. How you feel in your body, not just about your body." (National Eating Disorder Association, 2016) The resources below give more information about body image--both positive and negative, recognizing the difference between body image concerns and eating disorders, and what you can do to address both.
RESOURCES
10 Principles of Intuitive Eating:
About Face: About-Face means a reversal of direction, attitude, or point of view. This organization equips women with tools to understand & resist harmful media messages that affect their self-esteem & body image.
The Emily Program: The Emily Program is nationally recognized for its compassionate, evidence-based approach to eating disorder treatment and lifelong recovery. The Emily Program understands the tangled complexities of eating disorders, often from personal experience. Know that you’re not defined by your eating disorder, and The Emily Program’s team of experts—including therapists, dietitians, and medical staff—focuses on treating the whole person. Spokane’s location offers support groups, therapy, and inpatient and outpatient care options.
Fostering a Positive Self-Image: This resource reviews how we create our self-image and ways to improve that self-image.
Male Body Image: Body image isn't just a topic for women, men can struggle with body image, too. This resource is all for the guys to support your positive self-image.
NEDA Hotline: The National Eating Disorders Association Hotline.
Podcast: Mind Body Musings: In this podcast, you’ll hear interviews from like-minded individuals who share their wisdom on the topics of intuition, self-care, body positivity, dreams, mindsets, living with total freedom, worthiness, facing fear, becoming rejection-proof, spirituality and living with a purpose bigger than yourself.
TedTalk: Looks Aren't Everything: Cameron Russell admits she won “a genetic lottery”: she's tall, pretty and an underwear model. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless Ted Talk, she takes a wry look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16 years old.
YouTube: Eating Disorders on Campus: Eating disorder experts share insights and resources for students who care about making a difference in the fight against eating disorders on college campuses.
APPS
Recovery Record: Eating Disorder Management. A smart companion for managing your journey to recovery from eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. This app is also intended for people with general eating, weight and shape concerns. Free on Android & iTunes.
Good Blocks: A gamified training application designed to improve your self-esteem, body image, social anxiety and mood. Good Blocks trains your mind to quickly and automatically reject negative thinking and adopt more adaptive, flexible thinking. Improve your mood just by playing. Free on iTunes.
Rise Up + Recover is the app for you if you are struggling with food, dieting, exercise and body image. Rise Up + Recover is based off self-monitoring homework, a cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and provides users a wide range of resources to build a strong recovery warrior mindset. Free on Android & iTunes.