Making Peace with Your Body

1
Making Peace with Your Body

• Andrea Z. Paxman
• Womens Services and Resources
• January 30, 2003

2
Introduction

• First Week Body Image and the Media
• Second Week Why Bad Diets Happen to Good
  People
• This week
• Messages that God sends about our bodies
• Harder to hear because media is loud and colorful
• Bodies created after image of Heavenly Father
• Bodies are temples
• Making peace with our bodies

3
What is Body Image?

• The way we perceive our bodies and the meaning we
  give to that perception
• How we view our bodies and how that influences
  our self-image and self-esteem

4
College-Age Women

• Everyday I wage a battle between thinking I need
  to lose weight and knowing that my weight is
  okay.
• Im 5 7 and weigh 118 pounds, which is
  supposed to be underweight, but I feel that if I
  lost 10 pounds Id be happier.
• I constantly worry about weight. I get caught up
  in how celebrities and models look, and I feel
  hopeless about my appearance.

5
Negative Body Image

• Distorted perception of shape
• Belief that only others are attractive
• Belief that body size or shape is a sign of
  failure
• Feel ashamed, self-conscious and anxious about
  body
• Diet for long periods and still feeling
  dissatisfied with body.

6
Elder Richard G. Scott
So many of our sisters are disheartened, even
discouraged, and disillusioned. . . Satan has
unleashed a seductive campaign to undermine the
sanctity of womanhood, to deceive the daughters
of God and to divert them from their divine
destiny. He well knows women are the
compassionate, self-sacrificing, loving power
that binds together the human family. He would
focus their interests solely on their physical
attributes and rob them of their exalting roles
as wives and mothers. He has convinced many of
the lie that they are third class citizens in the
kingdom of God. (Ensign, May 2000, p. 36)
7
Pres. James E. Faust
What a clever and seductive plan, what a way to
distract us and keep us from understanding the
influence we have and what we can effect in the
lives of others if we are so distracted and
overwhelmed with what a clothing, diet, and
entertainment industry say we need to look like.
These pursuits can take up not only an immense
amount of time but an inordinate amount of energy
and can totally consume us, our lives, and this
precious probationary period which we have been
allotted. (Ensign, Nov. 1999)
8
Margo Maine, Ph.D.
Instead of embarking on a more meaningful quest
women have placed their faith in products and
images. Rather than loving their bodies, and
being peaceful, respectful, and gentle with them,
women have attacked, manipulated, and controlled
their physical selves, never feeling satisfied or
content. (Body Wars, p. 10)
9
Margo Maine, Ph.D.
Our culture steadfastly believes that shape and
size are things we can and should want to change.
Even though research shows that genetics account
for at least 25, and possibly as much as 70 of
the factors influencing weight, obesity is still
considered sinful, a rejection of the highly
valued ethics of self-denial and self-control,
particularly for women. (Body Wars, p.
19)
10
Matthew 6 27-33

• Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit
  unto his stature?
• And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the
  lilies of the field, how they grow they toil
  not, neither do they spin
• And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all
  his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
• Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the
  field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast
  into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you,
  O ye of little faith?
• Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we
  eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal
  shall we be clothed?
• (For after all these things do the Gentiles
  seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
  have need of all these things.
• But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
  righteousness and all these things shall be
  added unto you.

11
1 Samuel 167
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature
because I have refused him for the LORD seeth
not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
12
Pres. James E. Faust
As daughters of God, you cannot imagine the
divine potential within each of youyou cannot
imagine the gifts and talents each of you has.
All women have appealing features. I do not refer
to model type appeal, but rather that which comes
from your personality, your attitude, and your
expressions. I urge you to enhance the natural,
God-given, feminine gifts with which you have
been so richly blessed. (Ensign, Nov.
1999)
13
Positive Body Image

• Celebrate and appreciate natural body shape
• Understand that physical shape says nothing about
  personal value
• Feel proud and accept unique body
• Refuse to spend unreasonable amount of time
  worrying about weight
• Feel comfortable and confident in body
• Responsible and take care of your health and
  well-being

14
Strategies for Change

• Develop value system that honors our bodies
• Fortify your defenses Change begins with
  yourself
• Help others fortify their defenses

15
Develop Value System

• Develop prioritized set of values and clear
  mission for your life (including a detailed
  descriptions for success in applying values and
  fulfilling mission).
• Align your behavior with your values and your
  mission.
• Focus on process, not outcome live in the
  present, enjoy the present, do one task at a
  time, leave past problems and mistakes behind
  you, live today as you should, and let the future
  take care of itself.
• Choose to be cheerful and happy today.
• Develop unity between you and others connect,
  love, serve.
• Avoid the P traps power, prosperity, prestige,
  perfection.
• Learn lessons from and overcome burn-out, pain,
  guilt, disappointment, discouragement,
  depression, fear, loneliness, or any other kind
  of stressor.
• (S. Scott Zimmerman, Ph.D.)

16
Fortify Your Defenses

• Think of your body as a tool. Create and
  inventory of all the things you can do with it.
• Create a list of people you admire who have
  contributed to your life, your community, or to
  the world. Was their appearance important to
  their success and accomplishments?
• Enjoy your body stretch, dance, walk, sing, take
  a bubble bath, get a massage.
• Put signs on your mirrors like, Im beautiful
  inside and out.
• Dont let your size keep you from doing the
  things you enjoy.

17
Fortify Your Defenses (cont.)

• Count your blessings, not your blemishes.
• Replace the time you spend criticizing your
  appearance with more positive, satisfying
  pursuits.
• Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do
  it regularly, not to lose weight, but to feel
  good.
• Answer the question If you had only one year to
  live, how important would your body image and
  appearance be?
• Beauty is not just skin deep. It is a reflection
  of your whole self. Love and enjoy the person
  inside.
• (Body Wars,pp.14-15)

18
Help Others Fortify Their Defenses

• Never judge another based on weight and
  appearance
• Place value on truth, righteousness, faith, hope,
  and charitynot on superficialities worldly
  power, prosperity, prestige, or appearance
• Challenge TV shows, movies, magazines, pageants,
  and fashions that promote unrealistic body weight
  and emphasize appearance over substance
• Share your concerns with others
• Discuss issues with friends who promote worlds
  view of body
• (S. Scott Zimmerman, Ph.D.)

19
Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is
none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a
lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with
an understanding of why she should do so, who
honors and respects her body as a thing sacred
and divine, who cultivates her mind and
constantly enlarges the horizon of her
understanding, who nurtures her spirit with
everlasting truth. (Our Responsibility to Our
Young Women, Ensign, Sept. 1988, page 11)