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Therapist Blog

Media and Body Image: Revenge Body?

What message are we really getting?

While I've seen the new show by Khole Kardashian, what is message she is really sharing in regards to finding a healthy body and mind? While, I do see a small glimmers in the previews of the show that the participants overcome the idea of becoming healthy for someone else and begin owning their own emotional story, its unclear on whether the masses are grasping that idea. I state that because, this is not the premise of the show, the premise is clearly a gimmick.

 Lets be honest, how many people will really watch a self-empowerment show that the Kardashians have their named attached to? The gimmick is all about having the audience buy in to watching the show, about making money, and not about spreading body positivity.

Here are the facts:

Losing weight in order to get over a past trauma is not effective, in fact its a symptom of avoidance of the true emotional struggle that takes place after any loss. This mindset could very likely lead to disordered eating, that if untreated has the potential to turn into an eating disorder. In my practice with clients I have noticed that once a person begins to loose weight rapidly they get "hooked" on the positive reinforcement of feedback from other people. For example, once they loose the weight, they hear comments such as "you look great" and things of the like, which leads to further motivation to stress their bodies with future weight loss.

People tend to forget that weight lose or dramatic body changes is a trauma within itself. The body under goes extreme stress, which is why a body positive out look/acceptance of the body can be more healing than almost any other practice. The long-term method that shows health in the mind and body is intuitive eating, and practicing loving kindness towards the body.

I'll be posting more about intuitive eating soon!