Article by Jayne Cox
It’s a tricky subject, age and our feelings about our bodies. Often our bodies become the centre for scrutiny in our search for flaws, as other areas of life seem out of control. It’s no surprise that at this time of life change, what could be the best years of our lives can become a breeding ground for fear and worry.
Insecurities about body image increase with age
Unfortunately it’s a fact that women over 50 struggle with how they look at many stages of life and it seems that for many, insecurities about body image increase with age. For some midlife women it’s a battle to conform to social and personal expectations to be a certain size or weight and for others it’s the visual signs of age that cause torment. Advertisements, features on TV, in glossy magazines and air brushed images apply steady pressure for us to join the anti age revolution. We’re encouraged to put our hands in our pockets and try products, radical procedures and diets that guarantee we’ll be more beautiful, successful and loved, once we’ve parted with our hard earned cash and of course subject to maintaining it!
The 50 plus woman faces daily unrealistic images
Often viewed as vanity or self- obsession, this has a darker side with the devastating effect of women losing confidence, self esteem, developing social phobias and eating disorders. Ursula Philpot, Chairman of the British Dietetic Association’s Mental Health group, commented that: “older women now make up at least 10% of eating disorder patients”.
So the 50 plus woman faces daily unrealistic images of how she’s supposed to look, she’s carefully targeted with age appropriate iconic and beautiful, airbrushed women. I believe there’s more for us fabulous women folk and we deserve far better, so how can we help ourselves?
MY Top Tips to Loving your Body and your Years!
1. Ditch the diet, for life! It’s simple, feed yourself a varied diet, keep active and find professional support to STOP using food and start living.
2. Find a sensible and manageable beauty routine that specifically targets any problem areas. Is it financially viable and is it something you can easily maintain?
3. Monitor your TV viewing, how much influence does TV have on your feelings about your body? If it’s toxic TV, switch it off!
4. Do a life audit and check who your friends are. Negative friends encourage negative thinking and drain your positive reserves. Find positive, kindred spirits who make you feel good about yourself and your life!
5. Do you feel fulfilled and if not what’s missing? There’s never been a better time to find something that really interests you, stimulates you and makes you feel fabulous! Boredom is a perfect breeding ground for body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
6. Magazines can influence your thoughts about yourself, so how about picking up something different from the supermarket OR just walking on by!
7. Clear out the dated make up and clothes invest in a few key seasonal pieces and take a make up lesson or try a wardrobe detox.
8. Get outdoors and active. If you love the gym great, if you don’t just getting active anywhere is fantastic. Use a pedometer to chart your success , bounce on a trampoline, picks a Pilates class or find a walking buddy!
9. Throw a beauty breakfast and lunch party for your friends, pamper yourself with some beauty product samples in the morning, lunch and how about finding time to spend 30 minutes telling each other what is really fab about each other, you’ll feel terrific!
10. How about looking at your career, is it stale and are you ready for a change? Looking at your options is low risk and may just be just what you need.
So we can jump off the treadmill of life and make positive lifestyle changes, simply. You never had it so good and now’s the time to discover just that, you can learn to love your years, your body and your life, NOW!
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- Helen Mirren voted ‘best body’ in her 60s.
- The Warmth of the Heart prevents your Body from Rusting review
