Intuitive Eating Principle #8: Respect Your Body
Every day, we are bombarded by images on social media, in magazines, and on television, telling us what we “should” look like. It’s really no surprise that we turn to body-bashing, body shame, restrictive diets and more, in an attempt to mold our bodies into what society perceives as the ideal form. It’s exhausting! When we respect our body, we practice self-acceptance and empathy, steering us towards a path where we acknowledge and celebrate the innate wisdom and uniqueness within our own bodies. By reshaping societal norms around notions of beauty and well-being, and wholeheartedly embracing the rich diversity in body shapes, sizes, and capabilities, we are empowered to cultivate sentiments of appreciation, holistic self-nurturing, and reliance on our body's intuitive cues.
In a 2011 United Kingdom body image survey, the following results were revealed:
30% of women say that they would trade at least ONE YEAR of their life to achieve their ideal weight and size
46% of the women have been ridiculed or bullied because of their appearance
How to Respect Your Body
Get comfortable
Buy clothing that fits, that makes you feel good, and is comfortable
Quit the body-check game and stop comparing yourself to others
You have no idea why someone is the size/weight that they are (genetics, eating disorder, cosmetic surgery, illness)
Do what’s best for you for big events
Don’t compromise for the big event and diet down so that you can look a certain way at the event, focus on how you want to feel
Stop body bashing
When you focus and comment on the parts of your body that you dislike, it perpetuates self-consciousness and body worry; instead focus on what your body can do for you (e.g. my strong thighs allow me to hike)
Respect body diversity, especially yours
We all come in all different shapes and sizes, yet we are told we should be the same “one size fits all” - thin! Be aware of stereotyping large bodies, assuming that the individual overeats or doesn’t move their body. Conversely, don’t assume that a leaner body is the result of an eating disorder or excessive exercise, genetics plays a significant role in body size
Be realistic
If you are maintaining your ideal weight by restricting your calorie and excessively exercising, your goal weight is not realistic and you are not respecting your body size or your genetic blueprint. When you are constantly at war with your size, you are more likely to resort back to dieting (and we know that dieting does not work!)
Do nice things for your body
Your body does a lot for you, pamper it a bit with a massage, bubble bath, or scented lotion
View your body as an instrument, not an ornament
Focus on what your body can do, rather than simply how it appears. Placing emphasis on physical appearance can lead to objectification, a phenomenon that erodes one’s sense of value and self-worth
