Are you fat-talking yourself?

Research confirms that negative perceptions of your body can actually hinder weight loss and happiness

Do you look into the mirror and feel disappointed by how large you look in your favourite pair of jeans? Have you stopped looking into a mirror altogether or switched to dark-coloured clothing to appear slimmer?

Are you planning to enrol in yet another futile diet plan when all you really want is to relax and eat to your heart’s content? If this sounds like you, it is likely that you are amongst the millions of women around the world who suffer from a negative self-image and are ‘fat-talking’ themselves.

According to the Special K Positivity Study 2014, women who think of themselves positively are more like to lose weight successfully. The study implies that fat-talking oneself perpetuates a negative self-image and insecurity in women which actually deters them from meeting their weight loss goals. Couple this with the media’s relentless onslaught of celebrities’ weights and continuous portrayal of an ideal body type that we should strive for; the results of the study are hardly surprising. In fact, about 57% of the respondents Special K worked with agreed that newspaper, magazines, social media and the entertainment industry fuels insecurities and another 70% admitted this indirect ‘fat-talking’ should stop.

The ideal body type — a must or a myth?

The media is quick to criticise should a female celebrity gain a few extra pounds. The blistering criticism Bollywood diva Aishwariya Rai Bachchan was flayed with following the Cannes Film Festival 2012 — her first public appearance after becoming a mother — lends credence to our obsession with stereotypical beauty and the ideal body type. The question is whether this ideal body type really exists off camera and if so, is it really the secret to our happiness?

“People should strive to be their healthiest selves — not the most attractive one,” advises fitness enthusiast and aspiring doctor Maleeha Khan. “Yes, the media moulds our perceptions of beauty but the features it prefers are also usually the healthiest so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.” Undergraduate student Anum Khan agrees, claiming that watching her favourite celebrities gain and lose weight actually motivates her. “Instead of making me insecure, the media actually made me realise there might be something wrong with my body that I needed to work on.”

Nonetheless, both Maleeha and Anum profess a no-harm, healthy weight management regime as opposed to the rat race of becoming skinny. Being content with your body should be the ideal aim for anyone trying to alter their physique. Not to mention, many celebrities are now warming up to the idea of having more than the typical waif-like body. Sonakshi Sinha and Vidya Balan are two such actors who have openly embraced their curves and proven that one does not need an ideal, dream-girl figure to achieve success in the media.

The link between a negative self-image and weight problems

Contrary to general opinion, criticism of our bodies, subconsciously self-deprecating and viewing ourselves as ugly are things women tend to bottle up within themselves. This negative self-image becomes a hindrance in not just the weight loss process but also other aspects of life, such as your career, relationships or overall happiness and satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to understand what this habit could do to you and why you must overcome it. The accusatory and discouraging voices you hear every time you try to fit into old clothes, for example, are related to events of the past and are stopping you from moving ahead. It may seem difficult but you must snap out of it to continue with life happily.

“It has been over a year since I began my quest to lose 10kg off of my current weight but I have failed,” shares 25-year-old teacher Nida Javed. “The person I see in the mirror is unattractive,” says Javed. “My goal is to drop to a size 10 — that would bring some joy into my life.”

Scientifically speaking, mental negativity increases stress. When you are stressed, your body produces additional amounts of cortisol, a steroid hormone which can cause fat to accumulate around the belly. In other words, a negative self-image not only perpetrates depression and anxiety, it can also bring on eating disorders and ultimately, increase your weight further.

The concept is simple: if you think you can’t do something, you probably won’t end up doing it. Putting oneself down and self-pitying are great demoralisers and can make one feel defeated right from the start, preventing them from trying in the first place. Not to mention, running after a single-track goal (in this case, becoming thin) can often become tiring and less appealing for an individual. Unfortunately, if you have been fat-talking yourself for a long time, chances are that you probably don’t even realise the damage you have done to yourself. But it’s never too late to change the way you look at things, especially yourself.

How to overcome a negative self-image?

The first step would be to understand that if you exude negativity, you will only get negativity in return. Adopt a ‘can-do’ attitude towards everything, be it weight problems or any other aspect of your life. Once you make yourself feel more positive inside, you will automatically become more accepting of your outer appearance too. This will boost confidence and also encourage you towards achieving your health goals.

If self-discipline is one of your weak spots, seeking professional help could prove beneficial. Speaking to someone about your insecurities and understanding why they exist will help you eradicate them altogether.

“The best option would be to visit a professional physical trainer and have them conjure a customised weight programme for you,” advises Maleeha. “Exercise releases endorphins in the brain; these are chemicals that relieve pain and also trigger positive feelings within us. It can even eradicate depression!”

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, January 25^th, 2015.