Relationship Between Physical Insecurities and Health Issues in America

This page is about the relationship between physical insecurities and health issues and how health problems can lead to physical insecurities due to dissatisfaction with your body or the other way around.

Having complexes inherently means experiencing a level of body dissatisfaction. People with a complex are generally dissatisfied with their bodies and find multiple physical defects.

This page will explain how some complexes can lead not only to psychological disorders, but also to other health problems. 

Relationship between physical insecurities and health issues in America: Introduction

Body dissatisfaction is present in a wide variety of physical disorders as a predisposing factor, either as an essential feature (“primary clinical sign”) or as a consequence (“secondary clinical sign”) of these disorders.

The physical complexes can also generate health problems that we will discover together in this article.

The relationship between physical insecurities and health issues, such as overweight and obesity 

Today, obesity affects many men and women of all ages. 

Generally speaking, the “round and strong” people are more dissatisfied with their lives. Indeed, they tend to suffer from low self-esteem and a negative body image compared to people of average build.

Overweight people are constantly stigmatized and discriminated against. For example, on television, overweight celebrities are likelier to be teased than their average-weight peers. 

Usually, “fat girls” like us are lent less authority, and people can hardly imagine us involved in love stories, for example.

While it would be remiss to judge everyone the same, this dismissive attitude can also be found in some healthcare professionals (nurses, students, and physicians), including those who specialize in managing obese patients.

This “anti-fat” racism could be described as being as strong as discrimination against an individual’s race or gender.

Why are overweight or obese people devalued? ????

Why do us overweight people have a bad image? According to the theory of causal attribution, when we encounter people with a difference in their favor, we look for a cause for that difference. 

Let’s consider that the defect is caused by the person under their control (“internal causal attribution”). We may then tend to blame the person for their problem and discriminate against them. 

Generally, people consider that our weight depends on us (which is only partially true). 

As a result, “fat people” are stigmatized as being solely responsible for their overweight or obesity. In addition, their personalities are poorly assessed, and they are often mistakenly viewed as: 

• unwilling,
• incompetent,
• lazy, or
• emotionally unstable. 

As such, this “anti-fat” racism will undermine their mood, self-esteem, and body image.

In fact, the earlier in life a person becomes overweight or obese, the more likely they are to suffer from body dissatisfaction. The more a person was teased about their weight as a child, the more likely they are to feel ugly, regardless of their current weight. 

In addition, people who have reacted poorly to teasing (via self-deprecation, crying, isolation, etc.) are more likely to suffer from negative appearance and self-esteem.

On the other hand, people who have adopted more constructive coping strategies about their teasing (such as seeing the teasing as other people’s problem, or refusing to hide their bodies…) will have more positive self-esteem and will adopt positive self talk techniques. 

Is there a difference in the behavior of overweight men and women? ♂♀

The more overweight a person is, the more they will complain about their physique. This phenomenon is more pronounced for women than for men.

Generally, regardless of their weight, women are more dissatisfied with their bodies than men. The simple fact of being a woman will predispose to body dissatisfaction. In fact, overweight women are often less satisfied with their bodies than women of average weight. 

The same is not true for men who are overweight and less dissatisfied with their bodies than men who, although they are at an average weight, also think they are too fat. 

Men who are genuinely overweight tend to perceive themselves as “strong and imposing” rather than “fat.” This self-image may be one element that protects some overweight or obese men from body dissatisfaction.

It also appears that homosexual men are more dissatisfied with their physical appearance than heterosexual men and homosexual women. In addition, they are more likely to develop an eating disorder than heterosexual men. 

As for homosexual women, they seem to be less dissatisfied with their bodies than heterosexual women, probably because the lesbian community would accept a larger body size. Lesbians tend to weigh more than heterosexual women.

Body satisfaction differs from person to person 

Body satisfaction differs depending on whether the person is losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. 

In fact, people who are still overweight but are losing weight are improving their body image. 

On the other hand, people who have lost and regained weight (often called the “Yo-Yo effect” ????) are very dissatisfied.

Many obese people have a Yo-Yo weight history: they have gained and lost a lot of weight many times in the past.

As a result, people who have had significant weight fluctuations are more likely to suffer from:

• body dissatisfaction
• negative self-esteem, and
• dissatisfaction with their lives in general.

By the way: The phenomenon of “phantom fat” (feeling fat even though you’ve lost weight) often occurs after rapid and significant weight loss. Therefore, be aware that losing weight is not always enough to solve body dissatisfaction!

The link between physical complexes and dental problems ????

Generally, the face is one of the main beauty criteria and is considered a particular “social asset.” Indeed, people with facial complexes are often introverted, unpopular, and awkward in their social relationships.

When we observe a face, we first notice its brightest elements: the whites of the eyes and the brightness of the teeth. 

Teeth are the most attention-grabbing facial features. Therefore, it is not surprising that dentition has a significant influence on our overall body image. It also plays a role in our popularity. 

Children with white, symmetrical teeth are considered more attractive and intelligent by their peers and by the adults around them. 

Judgments, both positive and negative, by parents, teachers, and peers strongly influence body image.

Dental malocclusions (overlapping teeth, gaps between teeth, etc.) are often the subject of ridicule at school. According to some studies, many adults have reported a loss of body satisfaction and self-esteem due to being teased or bullied.

The cultural criteria of beauty and the socio-cultural importance given to beauty play an essential role in body dissatisfaction. 

Therefore, the demand for orthodontic treatment is more frequent among women and people from higher socio-economic backgrounds as well as urban dwellers.

The qualities and skills of the person in other areas (academic, sports, relational…) are also to be considered since they can offset these physical insecurities.

In fact, children who do well in school, in sports, or who are comfortable in society more easily overcome negative messages about their faces. They have higher self-esteem than lower-performing children. 

As a result, these children are less likely to require orthodontic intervention.

The relationship between physical insecurities and health issues like dermatological problems ????

Skin conditions such as acne, depigmentation, or wrinkles are at the root of many physical complexes. 

This is not surprising when we know that our skin represents a real “showcase” in the eyes of others. It represents our most visible envelope, the first characteristic others see of our body.

Whether it is a disfigurement, a problem of abnormal pigmentation, a deformation of the skin, etc. They can all lead to anxious ruminations, depressive effects, and even feelings of humiliation and unworthiness.

Teenagers and young adults with significant physical insecurities suffer a lot from their dermatological problems. This also concerns women, who are major consumers of creams and “miracle cures.”

The location of skin problems also plays a role in shame. Indeed, the more visible the condition, the more disturbing it is. Damage to the eyes and mouth is particularly traumatic. 

The type of dermatological condition and the general public’s opinion also play a role in dissatisfaction. Indeed, most dermatological conditions are often misunderstood and sometimes “demonized” by people.

Often, they are perceived as contagious when they are not. Therefore, this leads to the exclusion of the affected person. 

People with visible skin conditions are frequently subjected to real discrimination and ridicule from others. 

The link between physical complexes and cancer 

Having cancer or recovering from cancer can cause significant changes in body appearance and integrity. These physical transformations inevitably affect the representation and experience of the body.

Indeed, cancer treatments affect the physical appearance and body representation of patients. Generally, they generate:

• a feeling of depression,
• a decrease in self-esteem, and
• a general deterioration of the quality of life. 

These adjustment difficulties can sometimes continue after treatment, once the patient’s initial physical appearance has been restored. 

Examples include physical changes such as: 

• hair loss induced by chemotherapy,
• weight gain or loss resulting from the administration of corticosteroids,
• visible dermatological changes due to radiation therapy.

All these visible changes related to cancer treatment may induce more suffering than other side effects, such as insomnia, nausea, intense fatigue, and shortness of breath. 

Sometimes treating cancer may involve removing a part of the body, such as an eye or a breast, which are traumatic mutilations. 

Moreover, even surgery on an internal part of the body, not visible but “symbolic,” can affect body representation, such as removing a testicle.

Some types of cancer are more stressful than others, such as: 

• cancers that have physical changes that constantly remind the patient of their illness (such as facial changes), or
• cancers that involve changes in body function (such as loss of speech from laryngeal cancer).

Other cancers cause particularly disabling motor or sensory changes. For example, speech can be affected in laryngeal cancers, or some women experience tactile loss during breast reconstruction. 

These changes, which are not always visible, can also alter the patient’s body image and the reactions of those around them.

The speed at which the body changes will also influence psychological adaptation. Indeed, a gradual loss of hair allows more time to adapt than the surgical removal of a part of the body in an emergency. 

The permanence of the bodily change may also affect the psychological response. Namely, patients tend to adapt more easily when the physical change is temporary or reversible.

There are people who emotionally over-invest in the part of the body affected by cancer and who have difficulty adapting to its transformation. They often become depressed, lose confidence, and become isolated. 

But, overinvestment in physical appearance is likely to change during treatment. 

Indeed, faced with the life-threatening nature of the disease, some patients try to relativize the importance of physical appearance to focus on their pure survival.

Today, thanks to advances in reconstructive surgery, the physical changes associated with cancer or its treatment can be minimized. 

The link between high body dissatisfaction and urological problems ????

Erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence are taboo subjects. And yet, they cause considerable suffering experienced in loneliness and shame. 

Often, the discomfort comes from the consequences of urological disorders: 

• Limited mobility in case of urinary incontinence
• Physical disabilities in case of sexual dysfunction

In addition, there is real social discrimination against people with urological disorders. 

For example, they have difficulty finding and keeping a job because their condition limits their activities and performance.

People with urinary incontinence usually suffer from depressive symptoms, with social withdrawal and fear of abandonment. The fear of having a urinary accident in public is very common. 

As a result, there is high body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. These people will voluntarily modify their physical and social environment, with progressive isolation and avoidance of all social activities.

Sexuality and body image are intimately linked

Because of sexual dysfunction, the representation of the body is often altered. Indeed, the visibility and the severity of the malfunction determine the extent of the complexes. 

Some dysfunctions can lead to: 

• body dissatisfaction,
• a feeling of shame towards one’s sexual partner,
• a loss of self-esteem, and
• a voluntary social withdrawal.

Generally, our beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes about our physical disorder tend to determine its impact on our body experience. 

The link between body dissatisfaction, gynecological problems, and pregnancy ????

Few women are cheerful during their gynecological visits. Indeed, the embarrassment is at its peak since the most intimate parts are revealed. 

As a result, some women may avoid these visits, putting their well-being and health at risk. Even worse, many teenagers are misinformed and refuse oral contraception for fear of gaining weight.

During pregnancy, a woman’s body changes. Pregnant women tend to “put aside” their complexes, especially at the end of pregnancy, because they are often complimented on their “condition.”

However, after childbirth, the woman often regains her initial body dissatisfaction. She will then try to return to her “ideal” weight, with a risk of developing an eating disorder or a depressive episode if the diet is unsuccessful.

Generally, pregnant women who have suffered from eating disorders before their pregnancy tend to have difficulty with weight gain and curves. 

Therefore, to stay thin at all costs, they will maintain their disturbed eating habits to the detriment of their child.

Relationship between physical insecurities and health issues in America: Conclusion

Physical complexes can appear during health problems, causing people with complexes to isolate themselves and have a negative body image.

Body dissatisfaction itself can also lead to unhealthy behaviors, which can then lead to health problems.

At any rate, the moral of this story is to accept our complexes, for those who know how to cope and live with the mental “disease” in their heads will likely be more fulfilled than those unable to cope with them.

Sources

• Schwartz & Brownell, Obesity and body image, Body Image, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2004
• Kiyak & Reichmuth, Body image issues in dental medicine;
• Koo & Yeung, Body image issues in dermatology;
• White, Body images in oncology;
• Tovian, Body image and urological disorders;
• Wiederman, Body image and sexual functioning;
• Heinberg & Guarda, Body image issues in obstetrics and gynecology;
• in Cash & Pruzinsky, A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice, Guilford Publications, 2004