Body image: instrument or ornament?

Body dissatisfaction is common in both men and women. Both genders have negative responses to the media images of the idealised, slim, toned or muscled physique. Professionals working in close contact with clients can have a profound effect on how a client views their own body.

By Fiona Holland, lecturer

Introduction Body image is a complex and multidimensional construct encompassing how we feel, think and behave (1). We all have a relationship with our body, but in many cases this relationship can be more negative than positive. Body dissatisfaction is common in both men and women (1–3), and research has indicated that both genders have negative responses to the images of the idealised, slim, toned or muscled physiques that we observe on from the pages of celebrity magazines, advertisements and the internet (4,5).

One study in male university students showed that their body dissatisfaction increased after exposure to advertisement images of more muscled males compared with exposure to average-sized males (4), while women have been shown to devalue their bodies when exposed to media images of thin women (5).

In 1998, the Bread for Life Campaign surveyed over 900 young women aged between 18 and 24 years. The survey found that 61% of young women feel inadequate compared with the media’s image of beautiful women. See Box 1 for

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more statistics from this survey. Fitness professionals working in close contact with clients can have a profound effect on how their clients view their own body.

Trainer-client relationship As body-centred practitioners (e.g. fitness and health professionals, massage and sports therapists,) we often underestimate the power of our words, actions and influence over our clients, especially in terms of the messages around body image and body dissatisfaction.

Research has shown that body image becomes more negative in situations that are more body-focused (6). The gym or

treatment room is therefore a place where body-image issues may be highlighted. In the trainer–client relationship, clients step into the sometimes vulnerable role of needing help, support or care, and negative body-related statements often rise to the surface. This may be due to apprehension on the part of the client, possibly around the idea of being seen and judged. We may hear comments such as “I don’t have any muscles: I’m just fat everywhere!” or “Can this exercise help me get rid of my ugly thighs?”

Clients may also search for validation in statements such as “I’ve been training hard and lost half a stone. Can you tell?”

“The treatment room or gym is a place where

body-image issues may be highlighted” BOX 1: MEDIA IMAGE A total of 900 women aged 18–24 years were surveyed in 1998 (11): n Only 25% were happy with their weight. n 20% dieted either all or most of the time. n 55% thought that men rate looks as the most attractive thing in a woman. n Only 1% thought that men rate intelligence as the most attractive thing in a woman. n 22% admitted to staying at home because they didn’t think they looked good. n 61% felt inadequate compared with the media’s image of beautiful women. n 91% felt that it was bad that the media always portray so-called “perfect” women. n 89% wanted more average-sized models to be used in magazines. n 63% wanted fewer dieting features in magazines.

The REPs Journal 2009;14(Sept):22-25