Beyond the mirror: Understanding the psychology of body image

The Alternative Story podcast

In this podcast episode, Rashi talks to Paras Sharma, a wearer of many hats, about body image.. In this episode Paras is a PhD scholar researching the acquisition of male body image and a therapist with over a decade of experience.

Paras explains that body image is not just about objective physical appearance, but also about how a person perceives their appearance and how others perceive it. Body image is, therefore, constantly influenced by cultural and societal norms. Paras also breaks down body image into two main elements: body esteem (how a person thinks they look in comparison to others) and body satisfaction (how happy a person is with their own body, irrespective of what others think of them).

Paras and Rashi discuss how everyone has body image issues, and it's a spectrum ranging from mild dissatisfaction to severe issues. They also discuss how certain groups of people are more vulnerable to body image issues due to societal pressures. Overall, the conversation offers insights into understanding and managing body image issues.