Kids as early as third grade are concerned about their weight. While their body shapes are changing rapidly, there is a lot of pressure to succeed and fit in. One of the ways to fit in is to have "the perfect body."
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MIRROR, MIRROR:
镜子,镜子
1. Girls are overly concerned about weight and body shape. They strive for the "perfect" body and judge themselves by their looks, appearance, and above all thinness. But boys don't escape either. They are concerned with the size and strength of their body. There has been a shift in the male body image. Boys live in a culture that showcases"' males as glamorous"' "macho""" figures who have to be "tough", build muscles and sculpt their bodies - if they want to fit in. They think they have to be a "real" man, but many admit being confused as to what that means or what's expected of them. This confusion can make it harder than ever to feel good about themselves.
女孩对体重和体形过份地关注,她们努力保持完美的体形,对长相、外表甚至是苗条与否进行评判.其实男孩也不例外.他们对身体的高矮和力量非常在意.成年男性的外在形象会有一次转变.在有些文化中,人们把有魅力、强壮作为优秀男人的典型,如果想时尚,就必须锻炼肌肉塑造体形.他们认为自己必须成为”真正的”男人.但是许多人承认,对于这意味着什么以及人们对他们的期望是什么,并不清楚.这种迷惑使得他们很难有良好的自我感觉.
2. Most of our cues.' about what we should look like come from the media, our parents, and our peers. This constant obsession"' with weight, the size of our bodies and longing for a different shape or size can be painful.
我们对于自己应该长得怎样的大多数观念来自于媒体、父母和同伴.体重、体形带来的烦恼以及对另一种形体和身材的渴望使人感觉非常痛苦.
3. Where do these negative perceptions come from? Here are just a few of the factors contributing to negative perceptions and obsessions about our body:
这些负面的观念来源于何处呢?对于身体的负面观念和过分关注是由以下几个原因引起的：
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:
不可能完成的任务
4. The media plays a big part. Surrounded by thin models and TV stars, teenage girls are taught to achieve an impossible goal. As a result, many teenage girls intensely dislike their bodies and can tell you down to the minutest"' detail what's wrong with it. Most teens watch an average of 22 hours of TV a week and are deluged"' with images' of fat-free bodies in the pages of health, fashion and teen magazines. The "standard" is impossible to achieve. A female should look like, and have the same dimensions as Barbie, and a male should look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
媒体起着重要的作用.由于受到身材苗条的模特和电视明星的影响,少女们在追逐一个不可能完成的任务.结果许多少女非常不喜欢自己的身体,并会向你诉说很细微的不足之处.他们每周平均看22小时电视,并且沉迷于健康、时尚和青少年杂志上的瘦身话题.这一标准是根本不可能达到的.女性应该具有芭比娃娃的尺寸,男性应该长得像施瓦辛格.
5. Take a look at the 10 most popular magazines on the newspaper racks. The women and men on the covers represent about 0.03 per cent of the population. The other 99.97% don't have a chance to compete, much less measure up. Don't forget it's a career with these people. They're pros. Many have had major body makeovers"" and have a full-time personal trainer. Most ads are reproduced, airbrushed or changed by computer. Body parts can be changed at will.
看看报纸架上排名前士位的畅销杂志.封面上的男男女女仅代表了人口的0.03%.而另外的99.97%根本不可能与之竞争,也达不到其标准.别忘了这些人是以此为职业.他们是职业人士.许多人都做过塑身,并且有全职的私人教练.而且大多数广告都经过修饰、喷枪或者电脑制作,使其身体的各个部位可以随意改变.
6. Western society places a high value upon appearance. Self-worth is enhanced for those who are judged attractive. Those who are deemed unattractive can feel at a disadvantage. The message from the media, fashion and our peers can create a longing to win the approval of our culture and fit in at any cost. And that can be disastrous to our self-esteem.
西方社会对外表非常重视.被认为外表美的人可以提升自我价值.而那些外表不美的人则处于相对劣势.这一信息来自媒体、时尚和我们身边的人,并且能够使一个人为努力获得社会文化的认可,而不惜一切代价来适应这一文化.这对于树立自尊心的毁灭性的.
7. Parents can give mixed messages too. Especially if they're constantly dieting or have body or food issues of their own. How we perceive and internalize"" these childhood messages about our bodies determines our ability to build self-esteem and confidence in our appearance.
父母也可以传递类似的信息.尤其是当他们一直节食,或者总是谈论与身体或食物有关的总题.我们怎么看待这些糼年时获得的关于身体的信息,决定着我们能否树立自尊心以及建立对外表的信心.
8. Why is a positive body image so important? Psychologists and counselors.." agree that a negative body image is directly related to self-esteem. The more negative the perception of our bodies, the more negative we feel about ourselves.
重外在形象,爱自己身体
9. Being a teenager is a time of major change. Besides the obvious changes in size and shape, teens are faced with how they feel about themselves. Body image and self-esteem are two important ways to help promote a positive image.
为什么好的外在形象如此重要呢?心理学家和顾问们一致认为,不好的外在形象与自尊有直接的关系.我们认为自己的形象越不好,自我感觉就越差.
10. When most people think about body image they think about aspects of physical appearance, attractiveness, and beauty. But body image is much more. It is the mental picture a person has of his/her body as well as their thoughts, feelings, judgments, sensations, awareness and behavior. Body image is developed through interactions with people and the social world. It's our mental picture of ourselves; it's what allows us to become ourselves.
青少年时期是有重要变化的时期.除了在高矮和体形上有明显变化之外,青少年还面临着自我感觉如何的问题.外在形象和自尊是帮助青少年改善个人形象的两种主要方法.
11. Body image influences behavior, self-esteem, and our psyche. When we feel bad about our body, our satisfaction and mood plummets"". If we are constantly trying to push, reshape or remake our bodies, our sense of self becomes unhealthy. We lose confidence in our abilities. It's not uncommon for people who think poorly of their bodies to have problems in other areas of their lives, including sexuality, careers and relationships.
大多数人认为外在形象就是外表、吸引力和容貌.其实外在形象远远不止这些.它是一个人对其身体以及思想、感情、判断力、感觉、意识和行为的内在认识.外在形象是在与人和社会交往过程中形成的.它是我们对自己的内在认识.它使我们成为我们自己.
12. A healthy body image occurs when a person's feelings about his/her body are positive, confident and self caring. This image is necessary to care for the body, find outlets.... for self-expression, develop confidence in one's physical abilities and feel comfortable with who you are.
外在形象影响着我们的行为、自尊和心理.当我们觉得自己外表不好时,我们的满意度和心情会一落千丈.如果我们不断地迫使自己重新塑造体形,自我意识就会变得非常不健康.我们对于自己的能力失去信心.如果一个人认为自己的外表不好,很可能会造成生活中其他方面的问题,包括性、工作和人际关系.
13. Self-esteem is a personal evaluation of one's worth as a person. It measures how much you respect yourself.
当一个人对自己的外表感到满意、有信心而且懂得自我保养时,就会形成积极健康的外在形象.这一形象有助于保养身体,发现自我表现的途径,树立生理能力方面的自信心,以及创造良好的自我感觉.
14. To begin to achieve healthy images of ourselves and our bodies is a challenge. Here are some things you can do to start feeling better about your body and yourself.
自尊是一个人对自我价值的评价.它衡量一个人对自己的尊重程度.
MAKING PEACE WITH YOUR BODY AND SELF:
15. When you look in the mirror, make yourself find at least one good point for every demerit you give. Become aware of your positives.
要树立自我和外形的健康形象是一个挑战.以下方法可以让你对外形和对自己的感觉更好.
16. Decide which of the cultural pressures - glamour, fitness, thinness, media, peer group - prevent you from feeling good about yourself. How about not buying fashion .magazines which promote unrealistic body images?
对体形对自己保持平和态度
17. Exercise gets high marks when it comes to breeding positive body feelings. It makes us feel better about our appearance, and improves our health and mood.
当你照镜子时,试着给自己认为的每个缺点找出一个好的方面.慢慢就会意识到自己的优点了.
18. Emphasize your assets. You've got lots. Give yourself credit for positive qualities. If there are some things you want to change, remember self-discovery is a lifelong process.
找出是什么压力让你对自己感觉不好—诱惑、健康、胖廋、媒体还是同伴们?可不可以不买时尚杂志呢,因为它提供了不真实的身体形象.
19. Make friends with the person you see in the mirror. Say, "I like what I see. I like me." Do it until you believe it.
锻炼身体对于培养正面的形象有很大帮助.它可以使我们对外表更自信,并且有助于身体健康和心情舒畅.
20. Question ads. Instead of saying, "What's wrong with me," say, "What's wrong with this ad?" Write to the company. Set your own standards instead of letting the media set them for you.
重视你所拥有的有用的东西.你已经拥有了许多.对于好的品质要给自己加分.如果你想改变一些东西,记住自我完善是一个长期的过程.
21. Ditch"" dieting and bail on the scale. These are two great ways to develop a healthy relationship with your body and weight.
和你在镜子里看到的那个人交朋友,并且说, “我喜欢我所看到的,我喜欢自己.” 这样做下去,直到有一天你对些坚信不疑.
22. Challenge size-bigotry and fight size discrimination whenever you can. Don't speak of yourself or others with phrases like "fat slob," "pig out," or "thunder thighs."
对广告提出质疑.不要说 “我有什么问题吗?”相反应该说 “广告有什么问题吗?”给广告公司写信.建立自己的标准,而不是让媒体为你建立标准.
23. Be an example to others by taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do rather than how they look.
放弃节食,忽视体重计上所显示的数字.这是两个建立身体和体重之间健康关系的重要方法.
24. Accept the fact your body's changing. In teen years, your body is a work in progress. Don't let every new inch or curve throw you off the deep end.
随时对体形偏见提出质疑,并与体形歧视进行斗争.不要对自己或别人说“胖子”“胖猪”“粗大腿”.
25. You know you are successful when you can look in the mirror and instead of asking, "What's wrong with it," and say, "There's nothing really wrong with me." And little by little you'll find you can stop disliking your body. When Clister Smith, age.15, was asked how we can like our bodies better, he says, "Quit worrying about what others think of you. If you want to change your body, do it for yourself, and not anyone else. "
关注别人的话语、感觉和行为,而不是长相,并且在这方面给别人起表率作用.
26. This is the starting point. It is from this new way of looking at a problem that we can begin to feel better about ourselves. Make this the time to accept the natural dimensions of our bodies instead of drastically trying to change them. We can't exchange our bodies for a new one. So the best thing is to find peace with the one we have. Your body is where you're going to be living the rest of your life. Isn't it about time you made it home?
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接受你的身体在改变这一事实.在青少年时期身体会发生一些变化.不要让微不足道的方面把你击垮.
当你照镜子时说“其实我真的没什么问题.”而不是说“我这是怎么了?”此时你就成功了.慢慢的你就会发现你不讨厌自己的身体了.当有人问15岁的克里斯特?史密斯,我们怎样才能更喜欢自己的身体时,他说,“不要担心别人如何评价你.如果你想改变自己的身体,那是你了自己,而不是为了别人.”