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Recently, Free Your Mind took part in the All-Walks book club in which we discussed Bodies by Susie Orbach.
In Bodies Orbach discusses how, for both men and women, our bodies have now come to be seen as being in need of constant improvement, and how this view of our bodies are influenced by society, media imagery and those around us.During our book club discussions we shared our experiences with our own bodies and body image, explored where our ideas and opinions of ourselves may have originated, and the role they now play in our everyday lives.
We talked about how our views of image are shaped by many different factors, including; upbringing, media images, interactions with others, and our surrounding environments.
And we discussed the varying attitudes we have towards both our own and others' bodies - for example, feeling too fat or too thin; or, too short or too tall, and so on - and how we then apply these same or, completely different standards to others, or none any at all (i.e. we are often our worst critics!).
The topic of how body image problems are trivialised and are not seen as "real problems" was often raised, along with the negative impact trivialising these issues has on everyone involved, not just for those whose problems are being trivialised.
Orbach touches on these points in the above video; but I'd recommend Bodies for her full exploration of both our attitudes towards our bodies and, also, of how they are shaped by our experiences, citing case studies and her own observations, as a therapist, as examples.
(Click here for the previous blog post, 'All Walks book club'.)
Endangered Species
Susie Orbach's Endangered Species summit was held during March this year; which, through a series of events and speakers, aimed to celebrate body diversity and challenge the culture that teaches girls and women to hate their own bodies.
