About this Research Topic
A positive attitude towards our body is a great challenge for mental and somatic health in modern society. The need for social recognition of one's body's appearance and to consider it "attractive" is important not only for young girls and boys, but also for women, men, families and society. Contemporary mass media and social networking sites disseminate a uniform image of the ideal body, both feminine and masculine, which is an important element of the process of Westernization, developed in mass culture. The phenomenon of Westernization is in line with the phenomenon of body objectification in women and men documented in research and literature, described already in 1997 by Fredricson and Roberts. The contemporary mass culture of the 21st century, through the standards of image and body appearance propagated in the media, sets the directions in which the bodily identity of contemporary girls, boys, women and men should develop. The influence of socio-cultural (including family) body image standards underlines the growing role of body objectification in the population of girls, women, boys and men. The pursuit of the ideal image of the body promoted in mass culture standards, obtaining its ideal musculature is realized in the behavior towards the body of an increasing number of contemporary women and men of different ages.
Behaviors aimed at excessive (without health indications and with a correct BMI) pursuit of leanness, shaping the body's musculature may be dangerous to health and life, as they may promote the development of anti-health attitudes towards the body and the development of many psychosomatic diseases, for example, specific and non-specific types of eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia psychiatry, compulsive overeating syndrome, bigorexia, orthorexia nervosa, overweight or obesity). Scientific research aims to indicate the role of mutual relations: psychological factors, internalization of socio-cultural standards in mass culture (ideal appearance of the female and male body, sporting standards of figure, self-assessment of own body image) - development of anti-healthy body behaviors consisting in improper restrictive physical effort, physical exercises consisting in shaping abnormal body muscles, lack of physical activity and behaviors consisting in improper attitude towards food (restrictive weight loss and diet, compulsive overeating, use of laxatives, vomiting).
Using the principle of "A healthy mind in a healthy body" and its importance for health, as well as the need for scientific knowledge about health resources and risk factors of body disorders, this Research Topic aims to collect a wide range of results from various research on pro-health and anti-health factors describing attitudes towards the body, which have emerged in recent years in clinical medicine, psychology EBM and psychotherapy (EBM). The main task of this research area will be to present the results of scientific research that will indicate the empirically documented variety of factors - resources that promote care for a healthy body and correct attitudes towards the body, and to present research that will indicate the spectrum of risk factors for negative attitudes towards the body and development of psychosomatic disorders. The search for psychological and socio-cultural resources in the approach to the body in women and men is an important factor in the health prevention and body care of modern women and men. The recognition (diagnosis) of psychological and social risk factors for the development of anti-health attitudes towards the body is important for the recognition of various psychosomatic disorders and the effectiveness of treatment and psychotherapy.
To search for a scientific source for the recognition of the spectrum of pro-health and anti-health aptitude, in this Research Topic we especially invite authors to submit original research and review articles that address the following aspects:
- wide range of psychological and family risk/ protective factors for the development of body-image disturbance in children, adolescents and adults,
- socio-cultural influence on mental disorders (including sociocultural appearance impact, westernization process and trans-generation transmission of beauty standards),
- phenomenon of body objectification in psychopathology and mental disorders,
- relationship between psychical and physical activity and mental health
- developing abnormal health-related symptoms and disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, obesity and overweight, orthorexia, bigorexia
Behaviors aimed at excessive (without health indications and with a correct BMI) pursuit of leanness, shaping the body's musculature may be dangerous to health and life, as they may promote the development of anti-health attitudes towards the body and the development of many psychosomatic diseases, for example, specific and non-specific types of eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia psychiatry, compulsive overeating syndrome, bigorexia, orthorexia nervosa, overweight or obesity). Scientific research aims to indicate the role of mutual relations: psychological factors, internalization of socio-cultural standards in mass culture (ideal appearance of the female and male body, sporting standards of figure, self-assessment of own body image) - development of anti-healthy body behaviors consisting in improper restrictive physical effort, physical exercises consisting in shaping abnormal body muscles, lack of physical activity and behaviors consisting in improper attitude towards food (restrictive weight loss and diet, compulsive overeating, use of laxatives, vomiting).
Using the principle of "A healthy mind in a healthy body" and its importance for health, as well as the need for scientific knowledge about health resources and risk factors of body disorders, this Research Topic aims to collect a wide range of results from various research on pro-health and anti-health factors describing attitudes towards the body, which have emerged in recent years in clinical medicine, psychology EBM and psychotherapy (EBM). The main task of this research area will be to present the results of scientific research that will indicate the empirically documented variety of factors - resources that promote care for a healthy body and correct attitudes towards the body, and to present research that will indicate the spectrum of risk factors for negative attitudes towards the body and development of psychosomatic disorders. The search for psychological and socio-cultural resources in the approach to the body in women and men is an important factor in the health prevention and body care of modern women and men. The recognition (diagnosis) of psychological and social risk factors for the development of anti-health attitudes towards the body is important for the recognition of various psychosomatic disorders and the effectiveness of treatment and psychotherapy.
To search for a scientific source for the recognition of the spectrum of pro-health and anti-health aptitude, in this Research Topic we especially invite authors to submit original research and review articles that address the following aspects:
- wide range of psychological and family risk/ protective factors for the development of body-image disturbance in children, adolescents and adults,
- socio-cultural influence on mental disorders (including sociocultural appearance impact, westernization process and trans-generation transmission of beauty standards),
- phenomenon of body objectification in psychopathology and mental disorders,
- relationship between psychical and physical activity and mental health
- developing abnormal health-related symptoms and disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, obesity and overweight, orthorexia, bigorexia
Keywords: Attitude to the Body, Body Image, Sociocultural Appearance Standards, Healthy Eating Behaviour, Sports Body Image Disturbance, Westernization, Body Objectification, Mental Disorders, Psychopathology, Feeding Disorders, Eating Disorders, Sociocultural Influence
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
