A recent study has stated that Spending time with people who are not obsessed with their bodies may be key to improving your own eating habits and body image. Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada examined how social interactions influence body image. They found that in addition to the previous findings that being around people preoccupied with their body image was detrimental, that spending time with people who were non-body focused had a positive impact.
The research suggests that social context has a meaningful impact on how we feel about our bodies in general and on a given day. Specifically, when others around us are not focused on their body it can be helpful to our own body image, The study measured participants’ frequency of daily interactions with body focused and non-body focused peers, their degree of body appreciation, and body satisfaction. The researchers also found that spending more time with non-body focused individuals may be advantageous in protecting against disordered eating and promoting more intuitive eating.
