social responsibility
CONFIDENCE for EVERY-B DY
BODY CONFIDENCE IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY, AND THE FITNESS INDUSTRY NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE MARK. DEBBIE LAWRENCE REPORTS
A T
ccording to recent research, one in four people in the UK are depressed about their body. Key contributory factors
are the unrepresentative ideals of beauty portrayed by the media and the obsession with celebrity culture, all of which can lead to body anxiety among the majority of us who don’t meet these unrealistic ideals. Research by mental health charity Mind revealed that nine out of 10 women aged over 30 battle with body confidence and low self-esteem, and over 50 per cent of women avoid exercising in public. Yet many of us will try and pursue
these ideals, negatively impacting the relationship we have with ourselves (self-alienation) and others. It can also lead to other unhealthy behaviours such as eating disorders and mental health issues, and is often the precursor to the search of quick-fix solutions.
Quick-fixes Diets: Around one in four people in the UK are dieting at any one time, and 46 per cent of women feel pressured to lose weight. In reality, 95 per cent of diets fail and 35 per cent of dieters progress to pathological dieting. The diet industry’s success is through the failure of its products: if diets worked, there would be no repeat customers.
Eating disorders: These are at an all- time high, with around 1.6 million people diagnosed in the UK. With 10 per cent of boys and girls saying they would take laxatives, 15 per cent of girls saying they would take diet pills to lose weight, and with eating disorders having the highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions, this is a serious concern.
INFO PANEL 1: BODY CONFIDENCE CAMPAIGN Gok Wan and Central
YMCA CEO Rosi Prescott at the campaign launch
he government’s Campaign for Body Confidence was launched on 8 March 2010, co-founded by Jo Swinson MP and Lynne Featherstone MP, following the overwhelmingly positive response received by the Real
Women campaign. Along with its co-founders, the campaign’s steering group includes All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, Girl Guiding UK, Central YMCA, Mumsnet, Susie Orbach and Beat. The campaign aims to deliver on three primary objectives:
1. More representative images presented through media and advertising 2. More critical evaluation of the images currently presented 3. Recognition of the emotional qualities – character and individuality as being equal expressions of beauty
Details:
http://lei.sr?a=t1f2l 50 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Cosmetic surgery: Staggeringly, Central YMCA and Centre for Appearance research indicates that, if money weren’t an issue, almost a quarter of men and a third of women would have cosmetic surgery. And procedures are on the rise: 43,069 operations were completed in 2011 (up 5.8 per cent from 2010). Women accounted for 90 per cent of these, but the demand for male plastic surgery increased by 5.6 per cent, with the male ‘tummy tuck’ up 15 per cent. Yet, quite aside from the risks attached to surgery, around two in three are unhappy with the results and the same number return for repeat operations.
Steroids: Steroids are linked to a range of serious health effects. Yet it’s
june 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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