Body Image

The term body image refers to how people think and feel about their bodies. It can be healthy or unhealthy and will probably change a few times over the course of one's life. Body image develops as a result of various influences, including personal experience, how individuals physically perceive themelves, and feedback one receives from their environment. Responses from the environment include how people are treated by others as well as socialization from the multiple cultures that influence every person such as family, ethnicity, religion, and social class. General societal influences like the media also impact how people perceive themselves. There have been varying images of the “ideal body” throughout history and across cultures.

A healthy body image is marked by a realistic perception and ...