Essay Example on Body image is a considerable concern that can seriously impact the adolescent years

Body image is a considerable concern that can seriously impact the adolescent years Varies influences during these years can empower disempower or conceivably cripple a young person's perspective regarding body image Ehorn 2006 p 39 The Australian Longitudinal Study reported 74 healthy weight range women had a desire to weigh less This result included 68 of women in the healthy weight range and 25 of underweight women Kenardy Brown Vogt 2001 pp 242 254 A South Australian 2005 study additionally reported a doubling of eating disorders amongst males and females aged 15 years and older over the period of 1995 to 2005 Hay et al 2008 These studies highlight the reality that a large part of Australian society have poor body image This research paper will explore the impact to the physical cognitive and psychosocial adolescent development of the individual's self concept plus the effects that school peers and social culture media can have on one's body image Additionally it will explore the atypical effects and influences of eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa AN Developmental implications 

Body image can be defined as those thoughts perceptions and feelings an individual upholds regarding their own body NEDC 2010 p 1 Within modern culture beauty and physical attractiveness are greatly esteemed social characteristics connected to happiness fulfilment intelligence and success Rennels 2012 Jones Vigfusdottir and Lee 2004 contend that this appearance culture provides a perpetual flow of negative messages that exerts relentless pressure of how one must look Adolescence results in dramatic change to the physical body mind and social culture life and as such renders adolescents susceptible to the narrative conveyed by the modern appearance culture Wertheim Paxton 2012 Therefore body dissatisfaction is not merely a psychological sensation but a social cultural issue While some younger children will experience body image concerns Smolak 2011 these concerns and anxieties become progressively common in the physical cognitive and psychosocial development of adolescence Lunde Frisén Hwang 2007 Body image issues extend from a trivial preference for a particular body feature to compulsive body image disorders such as muscle dysmorphia or eating disorders Pope et al 2005 Wertheim and Paxton 2012 add that concerns are either regarding the total body appearance weight shape muscularity or of specific characteristics such as hair style facial characteristics fitness and strength 

These result in some level of detachment from their parents and a greater reliance on their peers Sawyer et al 2012 Bukowski 2003 adds that acceptance by peers is one of the furthermost dominant concerns during adolescence which in turn amplifies the adolescents thoughts about their bodies With an increasing impact of social media platforms among adolescents cyberbullying has become widespread particularly regarding body image Tokunaga 2010 Traditional bullying and cyberbullying regularly focused on the victim s appearance body weight or body shape Cash and Smolak 2011 p 70 Adolescents with eating disorders can experience increased occurrences of other mental disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders suicide attempts chronic fatigue onset of cardiovascular disease substance abuse and personality disorders NEDC 2010 Sufferers of all forms of eating disorders generally hide their condition at a great cost to their own physical and psychological health Impact and strategies While the primary role of secondary teachers is to educate adolescents a teacher must also respond both the developmental personal requirements of students and the negative impacts and influences on the student s behaviours 

This additional support to their academic learning will include careful consideration of their physical psychological and social growth particularly in the area of self perception and sense of belonging Brown Kanny and Johnson 2014 p 195 This all-inclusive approach is vital when considering the negative effects of body image and the substantial spheres of influence perceived or real on a student s feeling of acceptance Cash and Smolak 2011 p 71 The art of communicating positive body image requires significant understanding of the shaping influence of self concept peers and the media If class communication is misguided gender-biased stereotypical or not genuinely respectful the teacher may become another negative sphere of influence Anderson Skemp 2012 p 534 Likewise if pedagogical practices and curriculum are delivered with an inflexible or outdated understanding of the developmental needs of the students then the learning experiences will lack rigour relevance depth and critical analysis Therefore regarding body image within the curriculum requires highly effective pedagogy to empower students to feel self confident Education must play a highly influential and positive role during these adolescent years White Wyn 2008 p 157