Being intentional about not engaging in various types of shaming may lead to better mental wellness. In addition to not body shaming, it can be helpful to be more body-inclusive. This means encouraging the acceptance and celebration of shape and diversity in appearance, focusing on health instead of size or weight, and appreciating the human body for all that it is and does.

Below are some ways you can stop contributing to body shaming culture. It may be socially acceptable for people to mock and body-shame others, but you do not have to accept, participate in, or tolerate such words or actions.

You wouldn't want that to be done to you, and now you know that it can cause real problems for those it happens to. So, when you are tempted to point out a person's body hair or their hair texture, their size, stop yourself.

Instead, why not think of something nice to say to the person? Clearly, they caught your eye, so you could use this as an opportunity to find a positive attribute. Try the following steps:.

Body neutrality is a practice that has many proven mental health benefits. It's the notion of accepting bodies as they are, without casting judgment on them.

This can apply to your own body, and to the bodies of others. Body neutrality encourages a focus on the positive functions that bodies can perform. Learning about it can make you feel better in your own body, improve your relationship with food, and boost your self-esteem. In a culture where so much emphasis is placed on what is wrong with us and needs improvement, it can feel like a huge challenge to speak positively about our own bodies.

Doing so, however, is a healthy thing to do, and it also saves other people from harm. By practicing speaking positively about ourselves and our bodies, and noticing qualities about ourselves and others that we like and appreciate, we can deepen our care, compassion, and connection with others and with ourselves.

When you make a comment like "I feel so fat today," you're making a judgment about fat people and implying their bodies are less valuable than the bodies of thin people.

This can be hurtful for anyone around you, especially those who are larger. It isn't realistic to only think positive thoughts about yourself, but you can express your feelings in ways that are less harmful to others. For the above example, you could instead confide in a friend and say, "My pants aren't fitting as they usually do, and it's making me feel self-conscious.

Rather than body-shaming, you'll have opened up to a loved one, creating more closeness and trust between the both of you. If you've gone through the steps to stop body-shaming yourself and other people, that's wonderful! However, there is still more work to do. As with all instances in life when you see other people causing harm, it's important to speak up—provided it is emotionally and physically safe for you to do so.

If you see someone making a comment to another person about their body, whether about their clothing or age or size, you can gently let them know that it's unkind to talk about other people's bodies. And if it happens regularly with friends or loved ones, you can bring it up in a bigger way, letting them know that their ways of communicating about bodies don't always feel good for you and others.

Body shaming may be prevalent, but you can do the work to stop perpetuating it and to help heal its harmful effects by practicing body positivity with yourself and others. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Braun S, Peus C, Frey, D. Is beauty beastly? Zeitschrift für Psychologie. Tietje L, Cresap S. Is Lookism Unjust? The Journal of Libertarian Studies. Lululemon founder to women: Your thighs are too fat. Brewis AA, Bruening M. Weight shame, social connection, and depressive symptoms in late adolescence.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. Vogel L. Fat shaming is making people sicker and heavier. Palmeira L, Pinto-Gouveia J, Cunha M.

The role of weight self-stigma on the quality of life of women with overweight and obesity: A multi-group comparison between binge eaters and non-binge eaters.

van den Berg PA, Mond J, Eisenberg M, Ackard D, Neumark-Sztainer D. J Adolesc Health. Gilbert P, Miles J. Body Shame: Conceptualisation, Research, and Treatment. In contrast, those who belong to more than one marginalized group are more likely to experience weight discrimination, and the effects are more severe.

This is due to intersectionality, or the way different types of prejudice interact and compound one another. The effects were generally more severe for women, with the effects most severe for Hispanic women and those living in low income households.

This highlights how weight shaming and discrimination tie into other types of inequity. The first step in stopping weight shaming is educating oneself about what it is, where it comes from, and its consequences. Identifying personal biases can be a helpful first step prior to attempting to help identify and effect change elsewhere.

As a person begins challenging their own biases, they can also change their behavior. This may involve:. Weight shaming drives stigma and discrimination, undermining physical and mental health in many ways. There is no evidence that it has any benefits.

In fact, weight stigma may be a key factor in obesity globally. To lead lives that promote health and overall well-being, people need compassion and support in getting their needs met. Due to systemic inequities, this is not always possible.

Weight stigma adds to these existing problems, disproportionately affecting those with less power. People can start to dismantle weight stigma by assessing their own biases and prejudices, taking steps to change them, and challenging weight shaming in their community or workplace.

Obesity discrimination in healthcare refers to a wide range of discriminatory and harmful attitudes about people deemed to be overweight.

Learn more…. Internalized weight stigma occurs when a person acts on negative biases they have learned from others about body size. Learn more here. Weight discrimination is judgement and unfair treatment based on a person's weight.

It can affect people in school, work, and healthcare settings…. There are several ways to measure body weight and composition. Learn how to tell if you have overweight with these tests, including BMI. Phentermine, a weight loss drug, is not safe to take during pregnancy. People pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, should stop using the drug….

Individually being more aware of how we can care for ourselves and others about body image. Policy recommendations Effective regulation of how body image is portrayed The Online Harms White Paper should address harms relating to promoting unhelpful or idealised body image online, beyond content related to eating disorders.

The new independent regulator should enforce an improved practice on how social media platforms promote unhealthy imaging The Advertising Standards Authority should consider pre-vetting high-reach broadcast adverts from high-risk industries — such as cosmetic surgery companies and weight-loss products and services — to ensure all advertising abides by its codes.

Social media companies should have clear systems for users to report bullying and discrimination and targets for action to be taken. They should give users greater control over the content they see in an accessible way. They should focus on healthy eating and exercise for all population members, regardless of weight A co-produced body image and media literacy toolkit should be a compulsory element of what children learn in schools.

This should include developing a charter to achieve a healthy and positive body image Tips for individuals Individually being more aware of steps we can take for ourselves and others. Body image in childhood. Read our Body Image in Childhood report, which talks about how our relationships with our parents, family, and friends and social media can affect how children view their bodies.

Body image and mental health. Body image issues can affect all of us at any age and directly affect our mental health. However, there is still a lack of much-needed research and understanding around this. Was this content useful?

Here's how it slowed one writer's diagnosis and treatment of chronic…. We talk about accepting people for who they are, but what about self-acceptance? Here's how to accept yourself.

You might be caught off guard by an insensitive question or comment from a stranger, acquaintance, or even a loved one. Here's insight and tips to…. Life happens. But where's the line between venting, complaining, and outright self-pity? And how can you shift the narrative?

Psychotherapy means therapy for mental health. Here's how it works, what to expect in your first session, and what it is for, among other important…. PsychoHairapy meets the need for a creative approach to mental health and wellness for Black girls and women. Podcast episode with Netflix documentarian on the use of psychedelics in mental health treatments.

Mental health apps can help with specific conditions and overall mental well-being. Here are the top 10 apps for relaxation, sleep, mood tracking, and…. These quotes about staying true to yourself and embracing who you are will inspire and motivate you to be genuine wherever you are.

Domestic Violence Screening Quiz Emotional Type Quiz Loneliness Quiz Parenting Style Quiz Personality Test Relationship Quiz Stress Test What's Your Sleep Like? Psych Central. Conditions Discover Quizzes Resources. Body Shaming: Uncovering It and Understanding It.

Medically reviewed by Marney A. White, PhD, MS , Psychology — By Janelle Cox on March 29, Body shaming, defined Is body shaming subconscious? Antidotes to body shaming Taking a closer look at body shaming — the practice of criticizing someone based on their body shape or size.

What is body shaming, exactly? Do we all body shame, to a degree? Examples: What body shaming looks like on social media. Was this helpful? What to do about body shaming? Awad GH, et al.

Beauty and body image concerns among african american college women. Body shame: Conceptualisation, research, and treatment. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge. Gonzales M IV, et al. Prevalence of a history of overweight and obesity in adolescents with restrictive eating disorders.

Shaping the body politic: Mass media fat-shaming affects implicit anti-fat attitudes. Bullying, bullycide and childhood obesity. Stop cyberbullying. Fat shaming is making people sicker and heavier. The shame of fat shaming in public health: moving past racism to embrace indigenous solutions.

Often, it is harmless fun, but one of the downsides is how open it is to body shaming. Common features also include celebrities with no make-up, celebrities in bikinis and celebrities who have put on weight or are looking thinner.

It is time to refrain from posting hurtful comments onto a public forum, where even the person being discussed can see them, and end body shaming.

Body shaming is ubiquitous. Comments can be nasty and sometimes used in poor-taste comedy. Some shocking examples of body shaming include a Fox News host saying that Kelly Clarkson should "stay off the deep-dish pizza for a while".

A cruel photo of a pregnant Kim Kardashian being likened to a whale went viral across social media sites and former Girls Aloud star, Cheryl Cole, has campaigned against body shaming after being subjected to cruel taunts about her slender frame.

Research has shown body shaming can heighten issues with problem eating. Body shaming has become such an issue that the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has just announced that Transport for London will no longer be allowed to run ads on the tube, in bus shelters and on street signs which may cause body confidence issues.

This means that controversial adverts such as those featuring unrealistic body images, often of models in swimwear, will not be shown. It can demean people, particularly women, and make them feel ashamed of their bodies.

It is high time it came to an end. We cannot control the actions and comments of others but we can stop ourselves from entering the vicious cycle of body shaming. Everyone has bad days and times when they feel they would like to change something about themselves. Try to accept who you are rather than condemning yourself for it.

You may encounter body shaming regularly, and be guilty of joining in, possibly without even realising it. The best thing you can do is avoid making negative comments altogether.