Diane McGeachy
Psychologist
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist
Hobart, Tasmania
To learn more about our Online Body Image and Mindful Eating Program click here.
Understanding Body Image and Mindful Eating
Body image is how we view, think, and feel about our bodies. While it can be influenced by personal beliefs, the views of friends, family, and societal norms also play a large role. When body image is negative, it can lead to low self-esteem, affecting multiple aspects of life. People of all ages, both men and women, can experience body image issues, which often start in childhood or adolescence and may persist throughout life. Negative body image can also impact our relationship with food, which can shift from a source of pleasure to a source of frustration or pain.
In everyday life, food is central to social events with family, friends, and colleagues. However, if our relationship with food is marked by guilt, shame, or anxiety, it can diminish the enjoyment of these moments. Learning about mindful eating can help foster a healthier body image and a positive relationship with food.
What is Mindfulness and Mindful Eating?
Mindfulness, a practice with deep roots in Eastern traditions, involves being present in the moment with awareness, openness, and acceptance. Practising mindfulness encourages us to tune into our bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts, enhancing both mental and physical wellbeing. In the context of eating, mindfulness helps us become aware of our emotions and physical cues related to hunger, rather than eating as a reaction to discomfort or stress. This approach fosters non-judgmental awareness of our feelings.
Mindful eating teaches us to recognise the impulses behind eating for comfort or distraction. By tuning into our body’s signals, we can better discern whether we’re physically hungry. When we eat mindfully, we fully experience the look, smell, and taste of our food, becoming aware of our thoughts as we eat. If we’re not physically hungry, mindful eating allows us to reflect on the underlying urges, encouraging a more natural and healthy relationship with food.
The core of mindful eating is not what we eat, but how we eat (Albers, 2008).
Why Do We Eat?
- To sustain life
- To nourish the body and gain energy
- To satisfy physical hunger
- To nurture or comfort ourselves
- To cope with overwhelming emotions
- To manage unresolved family or childhood issues
- Out of habit, as a safe or reliable choice
- For distraction or because we feel uncertain
Eating is necessary for survival, providing the nourishment and energy needed for a satisfying life. While eating is also a source of pleasure and an integral part of family and social life, it can become problematic when we eat for reasons beyond physical hunger. Although these reasons can be valid ways to cope, they can sometimes lead to feelings of shame or secrecy around our eating habits.
Body Image Statistics and Insights
In a 2007 national survey of 29,000 young Australians, the National Eating Disorders Collaboration found that body image was the top concern for both males and females. Body dissatisfaction is linked to risky eating habits, including extreme dieting, binge eating, and emotional eating, and it’s associated with clinical disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, depression, and low self-esteem. Research also shows that many women within a healthy weight range remain dissatisfied with their bodies and wish to lose weight.
These views of our bodies are complex and can stem from various factors, but media-driven ideals often contribute to body anxiety and dissatisfaction, shaping how we feel about our worth and self-esteem.
The Body Image and Mindful Eating Program
The Body Image & Mindful Eating program supports participants in developing a positive relationship with food and embracing their bodies as they are. The program combines practical mindful eating techniques with reflective exercises to help participants explore their past, present, and future relationship with food. The goal is to encourage lasting, healthy eating habits by addressing why we eat rather than just focusing on what we eat.
Benefits of the Body Image and Mindful Eating Program
- A supportive, non-judgmental environment
- A space to be heard and understood
- Opportunities to connect with others facing similar struggles
- Insight into the role of food in your life
- Skills for mindful eating
- Participation in experiential activities promoting self-reflection and growth
- Process-oriented work based on Gestalt psychotherapy
- Realistic and attainable goal-setting
- Encouragement to accept oneself and one’s body in the present
This six-week program is offered regularly at the Hobart Counselling Centre.
If you’re interested in joining the program or would like individual counselling sessions on body image, please reach out to us.
Diane McGeachy
Psychologist
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist
Email: enquiries@bodyimageprogram.com