Swimsuit Season Has Arrived.

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Swimsuit season has arrived.  While many anticipate the mood elevating effects of sunny days, many persons, especially girls and women, dread shopping for and wearing a swimsuit.  Even females who are at or below a healthy body weight, often perceive themselves as “too fat” and focus on perceived physical flaws which make swimsuit shopping an anxiety- producing experience.  Comparisons with actresses and models whose photos have been electronically altered and who receive the services of a team of “beauty and fitness” specialists, lead to widespread body dissatisfaction.  Eating disorders are evidenced at younger and younger ages.  (The well-known eating disorders treatment center, Remuda Ranch, has recently begun a treatment program for children.)  This body disparagement disrupts the relationship with the body and leads to an adversarial “split” between the person and her body.  The critical societal criteria become internalized and often a campaign to “build a   better body” ensues.  This can lead to dieting, over-exercising, and even plastic surgery.  Sometimes a cycle of binging and not exercising follows, thus damaging both health and self-esteem.

Adding to the difficulty is the myriad of mixed messages from the dieting industry; confusing nutrition information; and the government’s “war on obesity”.  All this leads to a sacrificing of the body and the self.  The body suffers the ill-effects of yo-yo dieting; or from the sedentary lifestyle that can result from feeling frustrated and hopeless.  The self suffers from a confusion between body image and self-image as well as from the internalized     negative messages that the  self “lacks willpower” and that the body “isn’t good enough”.  Hence, the adversarial relationship between the body and the self.

So, how to have a healthy body, a “good enough” body image, and a loyal body-self relationship:

  1. Stop Dieting.
  2. Work with a qualified nutritionist to help determine what is a healthy weight range (considering your age, gender, genetic heritage, body composition, etc.) and an appropriate individualized meal plan.
  3. Work with a qualified fitness professional to develop a safe, effective exercise program that fits your lifestyle.
  4. Do not speak to or treat your body any differently than you would your best friend.
  5. If yo-yo dieting, eating disorders, or severe body dissatisfaction persist, seek help from a body psychotherapist (visit www.healing-bridges.com for related information).

Treating the body with appropriate self care using health-enhancing, nutritious foods, enjoyable physical activity, appropriate rest, relaxation, and sleep contributes to both physical health and emotional well-being.  Appreciating the body for its multitasking service to the self can help heal some of the damage of body disparagement.  Did you know that if you happen to be an adult of about average weight, here’s what you do in 24 hours:

  • Your heart beats 103,689 times.
  • Your blood travels 168,000 miles.
  • You breathe 23,040 times.
  • You inhale 438 cubic feet of air.
  • You eat 3 ¼ pounds of foods.
  • You drink 2.9 pounds of liquids.
  • You lose in weight 7.8 pounds of waste.
  • You perspire 1.43 pints of moisture.
  • You give off 85.6 degrees F.
  • You turn in your sleep 25 – 30 times.
  • You speak 48,000 words.
  • You move 750 major muscles.
  • Your nails grow .000046 inches.
  • Your hair grows 0.1717 inches.
  • You exercise 7,000,000 brain cells.

It pays to take care of this hard-working body.  There are no used parts for sale!

In other words, the body works diligently to keep    everything functioning.  The body does its best under less than ideal circumstances ~ like overwork, sleep deprivation, poor nutrient   intake, air pollution, and so on.  Allowing the body time to play, to be nurtured with health-enhancing behaviors, and to be treated like a best friend is essential to well-being.  Making friends with your body will make the   summer season and every season a lot more fun.  So walk, jog, swim, dance, bike, enjoy delicious summer fruits and veggies, and enjoy summer, thanks to your “best friend” – your body.