What Causes Negative Body Obsession?

A question that I get asked often is, “Why does this happen?”

Why do most women, and a growing number of men, dislike their bodies? Why do they feel that their physical appearance is inadequate? Is it because they are overweight, or does it occur regardless of their size, shape, or color? What causes Negative Body Obsession?

Is it the media, with its obsession and idealization of thin, which stands in marked contrast with the majority of the American population? Is it a mental or neurological phenomenon, where people’s brains produce a deluded image of themselves? Is it the fault of computers and fast food chains that make people eat more and move less? Is it the fault of parents, of teachers? Is it loneliness? Who or what can we blame for this sorry situation?

The answers to all of the questions above are yes and no. Yes, the media has promoted a limited idealization of beauty, but we all have created the media. Yes, it can be a mental or neurological phenomenon, with brain imaging scans revealing amazing data on how our brains work and why some people suffer from anorexia while others suffer from bulimia or compulsive eating, while others live without such problems.

We can change how our brains work; we can quite literally heal injured, overworked, and under worked parts of our brains. Yes, fast food chains and sedentary lifestyles have not helped America in its search for health and fitness, but there are many strong, vital, and healthy people who spend hours in front of a computer or flying on an airplane. Yes, our parents might have given us many negative thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that have created tremendous suffering. But they were only passing on the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that were true for them given their states of awareness.

Every cause is simply a manifestation of a fundamental flaw in the way we think of, perceive, and live reality. There is one cause and one reason from which all other reasons flow:

The root of the problem is not realizing that each and every one of us is intrinsically beautiful and inherently valuable exactly as we are, right now.

That is it – every other cause stems from this fundamental error. If we lived from this truth and this reality, we would create world that reflected this. Instead, most people live from a place of delusion and illusion, believing that they need to change something or hold on to something in order to be beautiful, desirable, adequate, and worthwhile.

Our reality is a projection of our consciousness, of our beliefs, our attitudes, and our behaviors. Since most people accept a dualistic standard of beauty that is based on a limited and scarcity-based mindset, this is the reality we have created.

Let’s first discuss the role of the media. The media depicts predominantly thin women and muscular men. Fashion designers claim that clothing is showcased better on thin models, so most models are tall and rail thin. Consequently, much of the clothing that is made is designed for people who are not reflective of the majority of population. People look at idealized and air brushed images and think that they should look like that, believing that one body type is better than the other. Advertising leads people to believe that if they look a certain way, which is different from how they currently appear, then they would be privy to the sexy partner, the great house, the fabulous clothes, and the exciting lifestyle. In essence, they would finally be happy and successful.

The media projects this illusion, and we accept it as true. Who is to blame? The media? Those who create the media? Those who watch, read, or listen to the media? Those who believe the media? You see, it is everyone. It cannot be separated. All of the parts reinforce the whole. We cannot expect the media to change if we do not change. We can decide what stories we will allow into our minds. We can choose what we will believe to be true. It is only when we uncover and uproot the ultimate illusion: that we need to change in order to be beautiful, loveable, and worthwhile, that we can begin to change ourselves, the media, and ultimately the world around us.

When we decide that we are inherently perfect, whole, and loveable, when we confirm that beauty comes in many different shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities, then we will experience this to be true. If enough people live like this, it will be reflected in the media, in advertising, and in every other sector of society.

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