-
=X
Log out Welcome back
Are you a life coach, business coach or NLP practitioner? Join us Log in
Find a coach
  • Home
  • Coaching Areas
  • NLP
  • FAQs
  • Articles
  • Local events
  • Your stories
Welcome !
Member's AreaLog out
Log inJoin us
Bookmarks (-)
  • Home>
  • Articles>
  • Why insecure friends can make us feel fatter

Why insecure friends can make us feel fatter

Zoe Thomas
by Zoe Thomas, writer at Life Coach Directory
November 8th, 2012
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Bookmark
November 8th, 2012
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Bookmark
The big secret of body confidence and high self-esteem is this: don’t let your friends talk to you about their body insecurities!
Working mums healthier than stay-at-home mums

Sometimes it’s reassuring to know you’re not the only one who worries about appearance. When girls get together, it rarely takes long for the conversation to turn to issues around body-image. Self-deprecating comments like ‘I feel so fat’, ‘I hate my thighs’, ‘I just love cake so much’ and ‘how do the models do it?!’ can start to flow and before you know it, you’re all comparing insecurities and discussing body parts you’d gladly exchange.

Now scientific evidence proves that although this kind of talk might feel reassuring, it can cause future damage by fuelling body insecurities and making women feel worse.

Scientists at Mount Alison University in Eastern Canada asked 75 pairs of female friends to state how often they talked to each other about body image issues such as weight, exercise, appearance and their relationship with food.

Results showed that, regardless of their size, shape or weight, women felt more pressure to be thin when they spoke about body issues with friends.

The women who talked the most with their friends about body issues appeared to have the lowest body satisfaction, whereas those who rarely touched upon the subject appeared far more confident and happy with how they looked.

Experts conclude that listening to our friends complain about their own bodies can make us reassess our own.

We might think – if my friend doesn’t like the look of her legs, what must she think of mine?

Writing in the journal Sex Roles, Dr Louise Wasylkiw and Molly Williamson said: “Our research demonstrates that friends influence each other through at least three processes: perceived pressure to be thin; body-related talk; and perceptions.”

It’s far too easy to let body insecurities take over our lives. Embarking on a strict diet or exercise regime can be difficult and it’s natural that you’d want to talk about your experiences with your friends. However, be careful that what you’re saying isn’t making them feel bad about themselves. Try to balance the conversation with other things and don’t let it spiral into a one-upmanship about who dislikes their body the most.

Life coaching can help you boost your self-esteem and manage your friendships.

View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

Find a Life Coach dealing with Friendship

Friendship
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Other articles by Zoe

  • Unlike men, woman are happy with their work/life balance claims survey
  • Don't be late - three ways to manage your time better
  • Why weekends are a dieter's worst enemy
Building Confidence After the Twins have Separated!
Find a business or life coach near you
advanced search

Interesting sites

  • Guardian
  • Institute of Career Guidance
  • Telegraph
  • Times Online
Interesting sites
Guardian Institute of Career Guidance Telegraph Times Online

print this page

Related articles View all

Friendship Relationships Personal development
Are you too eager to please?
Are you too eager to please?
By Amy Metson (MAC, ICF Dip.Coach)
You’ve probably seen quotes such as 'always be kind' or 'if you have nothing nice...
Friendship
To be successful, do I need to upgrade my friends?
To be successful, do I need to upgrade my friends?
By Debbie Reeds
Should I ditch my struggling friends and hang out with the super happy and...
Friendship Personal development
20 ways to make moments, memories and magic this Summer
20 ways to make moments, memories and magic this Summer
By Karen Hayns MSc - Future Perfect
There’s something a little bit magical about Summertime. For me, it’s a...

Connect with us

Facebook
Twitter
"Hello 2020" in Charing is running on Sun 12th Jan https://t.co/I1Er9myrfN
Get involved
More information
  • Home
  • About
  • Legal terms
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy notice
  • Browse by region
  • Links
  • Press Centre
  • Site help

Company Details

  • Life Coach Directory, Building 3
  • Riverside Way, Camberley
  • Surrey, GU15 3YL
  • Membership Services Team: 0333 325 2501 *
  • Contact us
  • * Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

Copyright © 2019
Site by Memiah Limited

Healthy ideas that change the world

Get our free monthly e-magazine straight to your inbox

Find out more at happiful.com

Happiful magazine cover
Before using our site, please take a moment to review our Privacy Notice and Cookies policy. By continuing to use this site we'll assume you agree to both.
Ok