Comparing Current Appearance to Past Selves Harms Body Image
The 11-item scale found upward self-comparison is tied to body shame and disordered eating, while downward comparison is linked to body appreciation.
6 Articles
6 Articles
A clinical psychology study conducted in the US revealed that comparing oneself to one's younger and thinner selves, rather than comparing oneself to others, is more likely to trigger eating disorders, body shame, and depression.
"Oh, I can't believe how much I've changed." It's a phrase that psychologist Nichole Wood-Barcalow listened to over and over again from her patients, as they watched old photos, videos or memories of when they were younger. That repetition ended up giving rise to a new study. For decades, research on body image focused on how ... Continue reading "Why looking at your photos from ten years ago can hurt you more than compare you to others"
The risk of looking back at former versions of ourselves
For decades, body image researchers have focused almost exclusively on how we compare ourselves to others and the toll it takes on our well-being. But a new study from The Ohio State University shows that we are often our own worst critics, especially when comparing who we are today with past versions of ourselves.
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- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
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