Self-compassion for body image - two studies

How to Help Negative Body Image in Clients with Lipedema

by Kathleen Lisson, CLT

One crushing side effect of lipedema, especially at later stages, is negative body image. America is a society in which many people accept fat shaming and think that obesity is a result of laziness, poor life choices and lack of willpower. Many American women internalize these beliefs. Ladies with lipedema have often tried for decades to lose weight from the lower half of their body without any positive results. I would like to share two studies that show that meditation and self-compassion can help counter the negative body image messages that our society in America accepts as true.

First Study

Self-Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Meditation Intervention by Ellen R. Albertson & Kristin D. Neff & Karen E. Dill-Shackleford

This study enlisted "women with body image concerns" to simply listen to self-compassion meditation audio recordings to see if this exposure would increase self-compassion and improve body image concerns. 228 adult women participated in the study and participants listened to three weeks of self-compassion meditation training podcasts or were assigned to the waitlist. Five variables were studied: self-compassion, body dissatisfaction, body shame, body appreciation, and contingent self-worth based on appearance.

Mindfulness practices used included a "Compassionate Body Scan," "Affectionate Breathing," and a loving kindness meditation that includes the phrases "May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be kind to myself. May I accept myself as I am."

Find the study here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/attachments/30298/mindfulness-2014-albertson-neff-shackleford.pdf

Find the meditations here: http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/

Try the self-compassion scale here: http://self-compassion.org/test-how-self-compassionate-you-are/


Second Study

Brief self-compassion meditation training for body image distress in young adult women by Aubrey M. Toole, Linda W. Craighead

This study tested the effects of self-compassion meditation intervention, shortening the length of time from three weeks to just one week. This study focused on college-aged female participants with no meditation practice and included an initial in-person session in the laboratory to answer the participants questions, then access to podcasts for a week-long period.

According to the study, self-compassion is defined as three intertwined elements - "mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity." Mindfulness is important so the meditator can notice her suffering in a balanced way, self-kindness involves "care and understanding" versus "harsh judgment or criticism" and common humanity allows the meditator to understand that "imperfections are part of being human and that flaws and inadequacies make one more (rather than less) connected to others." Body image concerns include body dissatisfaction, body shame and body surveillance. Body dissatisfaction happens when we evaluate ourselves in a negative light, body shame is when we judge ourselves as a person negatively because our body does not conform to society's standards and body surveillance is when we are endlessly concerned with how our bodies appear to others.

This study's authors brought up an important point - some women rely on body dissatisfaction as motivation to continue health and wellness practices like exercise and a healthy diet. Many participants could not find the time to add the meditation podcasts to their life and only completed the initial session in the laboratory.

Find the study here: http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Toole2016.pdf