Pressure to conform to beauty standards can trigger eating problems

The advertising, media, and social pressure we currently face establishes extreme thinness as an ideal of beauty, health, and status. This pressure is amplified by the viral effect of images shared on social media, which "normalize" these standards.

Overvaluing physical appearance can transform beauty standards into unavoidable norms for anyone wanting to feel included in society. Feeling like one doesn't fit the beauty ideal, or trying to maintain it, can lead to persistent body dissatisfaction and drive those who aspire to it to make significant and unhealthy sacrifices, increasing the risk of developing and maintaining an eating disorder. Some warning signs include extreme dieting or excessive exercise.

During adolescence, we constantly receive the message that only by being thin are we attractive, competitive, and successful. Extreme thinness seems to be essential for a person to succeed, be accepted, and thrive in our society. It's important to remember that this is the crucial stage of life when personality, self-perception, and self-esteem develop.

Aesthetic pressure and gender perspective

Aesthetic pressure is a type of social pressure we receive from our environment, whether through the media, social networks, or even through comments that we already incorporate into our daily lives, and which emphasize those aesthetic standards that are often difficult to achieve, but which tend to be idealized and admired, directly impacting our mental health and self-esteem.

This pressure to conform to beauty standards is usually greater for women, with an association of thin and "perfect" bodies. In the case of men, the ideal of beauty is associated with muscularity. This pressure to conform to beauty standards promotes gender stereotypes and reinforces the gender binary, failing to tolerate body diversity and perpetuating patriarchal gender roles. It encourages the objectification of the body and perpetuates diet culture.

Aesthetic pressure and diet culture

As we've discussed previously, we live with the idea that being thin is associated with health, which leads to the normalization and widespread acceptance of dieting, reinforcing current beauty standards. Conversely, being overweight or having diverse body types carries less healthy connotations and can even lead to discrimination based on the assumption that the person "doesn't take care of themselves" or "doesn't try hard enough." These judgments, when applied to other areas, become what we call fatphobia or even aesthetic violence.

Self-image is a construct we form based on external influences (everything we see on social media or in others) and on our self-perception, which can sometimes be negative when it involves an overvaluation of the body and physical beauty. In the case of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, self-perception is distorted.

Adolescence, identity and self-concept

For teenagers, beauty standards are a significant factor, especially on social media. Teenagers have always compared themselves to others, because their parents, who were their primary role models in childhood, now become their peers, with whom they see themselves reflected. Furthermore, these peers will also be followers in the digital world of other young YouTubers, influencers, or celebrities who, on a large scale, promote their ideals.

A sense of belonging is key to adolescents' self-esteem, which explains their tendency to imitate one another. If diet culture and the overvaluation of body image are impacting an entire generation of the same age, who constantly compare themselves based on external validation and likes , the repercussions on the self-concept and identity being formed at these ages can be crucial.

If a teenager feels more accepted by meeting certain aesthetic standards, they may be tempted to restrict their food intake or make indiscriminate use of Instagram filters, as well as consuming digital content related to the need to diet and exercise.

If there is pre-existing body dissatisfaction, all these factors can precipitate an obsession or body dysmorphia, which is even called " selfie dysmorphia" (a term that does not appear in any diagnostic manual of mental disorders but refers to the multiple consultations for cosmetic surgery that some young people make to look like their Instagram filter) or the appearance of disorders such as muscle dysmorphia or eating disorders.

It is important that adolescents acquire critical thinking skills , as well as intellectual and emotional tools, to cope with the current pressure to conform to beauty standards that impose extreme thinness as a equate to success. The goal is not only to prevent the development of eating disorders , but also to enable adolescents to build their identity based on values and experiences, rather than on imposed beauty ideals.

How to combat beauty pressure at home:

• Promote and recognize body diversity . Every body is unique and singular; therefore, it is important to encourage real diversity as opposed to the single standard of beauty associated with an extremely thin body.
• Boost self-esteem . Reinforce positive aspects that have nothing to do with physical appearance. To encourage a person to accept themselves, it's important not to constantly compare themselves to others.
• Look for other topics besides body image to focus their attention on . If our conversations always revolve around body image and its importance, comparisons, insecurities, and body dissatisfaction can arise, potentially leading to an eating disorder. It's important to instill values in our children that go beyond the physical.
• Strengthen emotional communication. This refers to communication that conveys emotions and desires and has a strong physical component. For example, saying "I'd like to hug you" is not the same as giving a hug that expresses everything a person feels through their body's energy.
• Develop a critical perspective on social media and limit its use when necessary . Not everything we see on social media is real, as most photos are often retouched with filters or image editing software. When social media makes us feel bad about ourselves, it's recommended to stop using it for a while and, if necessary, consult a healthcare professional for an evaluation.
• Don't judge their happiness or physical appearance based on the number of likes their photos receive. Our children can form their self-concept based on the likes their photos get. Therefore, it's important to help them understand that the number of likes doesn't reflect who we are as people. If a person can identify their strengths and weaknesses, they will need less approval from others.