With the beginning of spring, women begin to complain more intensely about their figure. Contrary to the belief that talking to friends about unnecessary kilograms improves mood, studies show that it is quite the opposite – frequent conversations about unwanted fat negatively affect self-esteem, says the magazine Psychology of Women Quarterly.
An analysis conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that regular conversations about the imperfection of the figure (real or imaginary) are conducted by as many as 93 percent. women aged 18 to 23.
186 female students took part in the study, only 9% of whom were overweight. The questions concerned, inter alia, frequency of conversations about weight and their importance for the well-being of participants, the level of satisfaction and acceptance of their body and factors that affect individual standards regarding the ideal figure. Additionally, the students were to write seven lines of dialogue between two friends, one of whom said she was too fat.
The results of surveys conducted among female students show that when they criticize their appearance, women actually expect words of consolation from others, but when they hear them, they are usually not inclined to believe them, says the author of the study, Rachel Salk.
Such conversations have little to do with actual obesity. However, they have a real and measurable negative impact on self-esteem and the level of satisfaction with their appearance, notes Salk, adding that women whose weight is normal are most complaining because people who actually have something to complain about do not necessarily want her to focus on including attention from those around you.
As research suggests, many women begin to feel better in their own skin as they age, and therefore the frequency of complaints is lower. However, there are other problems with self-esteem, this time related to changes related to the aging process (PAP).