Ms. Jefferson, a 47-year-old secretary, has contacted you to assess her body composition. Over the years, she has gradually gained weight because of her sedentary lifestyle and changing metabolism. Besides adopting healthy dietary and exercise habits, how can she build self-esteem and improve her body image?


Answer: Mental health plays a big factor in building self-esteem and improving her own body image. Tearing away from negative cycles of thoughts, such as the way she self-describes or visualizes her own body, can be powerful in improving her own self-esteem. For example, a shift from focusing on what her body looks like to what it can do is a popular strategy; instead of focusing on the quantitative metrics of how big her legs are, for example, she can focus on the fact that her legs are strong and allow her to swim, run, hike, and do many other things well. By extension, this also involves things that are outside of physical appearance, such as focusing on great qualities she has that have nothing to do with physical fitness nor appearance: this can help with self-esteem. Finally, she can be mindful of how she perceives not only herself, but other people: is she judging them also by their physical appearance? If so, she can work hard to change that mindset, and begin appreciating things beyond just how people look, and focus on the positive aspects.