Echo's Notorious Sex Blog

Hi my name is Echo, yes that is my birth given name. Well let's see.......I am a Married 29 year old Swinging Bi-Sexual female. I am 100% Irish and have the red hair and green eyes to proove it. I am a smartass I love to joke & laugh,,,,,,laughter is the key to happiness, that and a very sexually healthy life. I did have a Girlfriend until she recently got jealous, so now I am looking for a replacement,,,lol. Hmm what else more can I tell you except...

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Sexuality and Body Image

Sexuality and Body Image
 

Body image, like sexuality, is one of those very broad terms that everyone uses but few take the time to analyze for themselves. While most research on body image focuses on how we feel about the shape and weight of our bodies, body image can incorporate:

  • How we think and feel about our bodies
  • How important our physical appearance is to us
  • How we see our "real" bodies (what happens when we look in the mirror, touch ourselves, smell ourselves, etc�)
  • How we imagine our body looks
  • How we imagine other people look at our bodies

One of the most important things to remember is that body image is largely an effect of the unrealistic ideals of beauty that are specific to this time and place. Different societies at different times had ideals of beauty that were radically different than the skinny, practically emaciated bodies we hold up today as the perfect body. The impact of body image is experienced by most of us in deeply personal ways but it's important to remember that we are not born with poor body images, it's something we learn.

Often body image and sexuality are thrown together in the media, but what do we know about the relationship between sexuality and body image?

Body image can impact sexuality.

When we think about body image and sexuality we tend to think about it as a fairly simple relationship. If you grow up with positive messages about your body, you'll be more comfortable in your body, and probably more comfortable having sex, and therefore have better sex. If you feel bad about your body, the opposite will be true.

But it isn't that simple. Our body image and our sexuality can impact each other in unexpected ways. Consider a recent study that examined the connection between body image and risky sexual practices. The study found that:

  • Men with more positive body image were more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.
  • Women with more positive body image were less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.

This study reveals two important aspects about the relationship between sexuality and body image. First, body image can have a different impact on different people. Second, having a "positive" body image doesn't always mean positive sexual effects.

Sexuality can impact body image.

Since the 60s, feminist therapists and sex educators have been working with women to help them have more positive sexual experiences, specifically helping them learn how to sexually satisfy themselves and teach their partners how to sexually satisfy them. One of the things this work, and the many books it has spawned, reveals is the way that sexual exploration and sexual behavior can have a positive impact on body image.

Positive body image and sexual satisfaction do not always come together.

Many people assume that those with positive body image reap the rewards in the bedroom. But the connection between the two is more complicated.

A recent study of women between 35 and 55 for example showed that poor body image was related to a reduction in sexual desire and sexual activity. But the same study found that when the women were having sex, their satisfaction was very high. 72 percent of women in the study reported being physically and emotionally satisfied in their sexual relationship and 71 percent reported general sexual satisfaction.

Body image is general, sexual satisfaction is specific.

One possible explanation for the above finding is that body image doesn't account for the unique and personal experience of having sex. Some people may be shy and self-conscious about their bodies when they are out in the world, but they may be uninhibited and comfortable while having sex with a partner they trust. Thus a woman who is bombarded with messages that her aging body is no longer beautiful may feel the weight of that through a decrease in how "sexy" she feels or how often she wants sex, but when she's having sex, the satisfaction may be unrelated to her body image.
 
Where do male body image issues originate?

There are many professional theories that pin-point modern advertisements and media campaigns that portray the ideal man as lean, muscular and fat-free, much in the same way women have been pressured over the years. Majority of magazine covers (such as Men's Health) and billboards (like Calvin Klein) give the perception of the ideal and desired man as one perfectly fit. For years women have lived with the pressure to be as thin as a Vogue or runway model. Males are also more likely to have a body image disorder due to the pressures of sports and are more likely to induce vomiting because dieting is not a socially acceptable method of weight loss. If you find your anxiety and stress levels increasing over the way you feel about your physical appearance, consult a medical professional and seek help. Preoccupation with body image can lead to dangerous disorders such as anorexia.

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