In the words of the world’s most spiritual and truthful individual, “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Buddha is known for giving up his willpower over his intrinsic tastes to change his take on the world. In the process, his ability to resist the need for food changed his body tremendously. By the end of a 40 day fasting journey, Buddha was only skin and bones, as one would imagine. His reason for fasting was to learn about desire and he thought that by not eating, he could end desire and be freed by the suffering hunger caused. But he was wrong and found that he needed to eat to stay strong, which he could do by eating in moderation (something we all know today). At Her Campus, we wanted to examine whether one’s own portrayal of self can impact one’s body image.
Today, obesity has become one of the leading causes of chronic health issues and disorders, commonly encountered in teens. While many believe obesity stems from overeating and lack of exercise, researchers at Florida State University College of Medicine suggest that obesity in teens that is carried over to their later years rises from their negative views on their own bodies. A research study was conducted where participants were evaluated based on their physicality and their self-perception at the age of 16, then asked to later return at the age of 28 to see if their misperceptions had changed.
Two of the researchers at FSU, Angelina Sutin and Antonio Terracciano, call the teens’ perceptions of themselves as overweight (and them actually being at greater risk of obesity as adults) a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Why is this? Most of the participants were actually at a healthy weight, but because of their constant pessimistic thoughts and risky weight-control behaviors, they actually succumb to what they had long perceived. Now ladies, here’s a twist – researchers found that there is actually a stronger correlation to such “prophecies” for boys than girls, so we are already one step ahead of leading a healthy life! Women come in many shapes and forms, but the first step to living a healthy lifestyle is to look in the mirror and see yourself for what you really are: beautiful.