Body Esteem: A Comprehensive Review
Abstract
Body esteem is a complex construct of self-perception that involves a person’s overall evaluation of their physical appearance, health status, and physical capabilities. This review examines the literature surrounding body esteem, including its definition, its various components, and its measurement. It also reviews the evidence linking body esteem to various psychological and physical health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and wellbeing. Finally, it looks at potential interventions for improving body esteem, such as body image-focused therapy and self-compassion.
Introduction
The concept of body esteem refers to an individual’s overall evaluation of their physical appearance, health status, and physical capabilities. It is a complex construct that encompasses a variety of aspects, including physical self-perception, physical self-concept, physical self-worth, and physical self-esteem (Martz et al., 2018). Body esteem has been found to be a key predictor of psychological outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and wellbeing (Gardner & Brown, 2019). Therefore, it is important to understand body esteem in order to promote psychological health.
Definition and Components
Body esteem is a multidimensional construct that can be defined as “an individual’s overall evaluation of their physical appearance, health status, and physical capabilities” (Martz et al., 2018, p. 5). It incorporates different components, such as physical self-perception (i.e., how a person perceives and evaluates their physical characteristics), physical self-concept (i.e., how a person views themselves in terms of physical attributes and abilities), physical self-worth (i.e., how a person values their physical attributes and abilities), and physical self-esteem (i.e., how a person evaluates their overall physical worth) (Martz et al., 2018).
Measurement
The most widely used measure of body esteem is the Body Esteem Scale (BES), which was developed by Swami et al. (2006). The BES consists of 24 items that assess an individual’s overall evaluation of their physical appearance, health status, and physical capabilities. It has excellent psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .94) and test-retest reliability (r = .86) (Swami et al., 2006).
Links to Psychological and Physical Health Outcomes
Research has consistently shown that body esteem is linked to a variety of psychological and physical health outcomes. For example, research has found that lower body esteem is associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress (Gardner & Brown, 2019). Additionally, lower body esteem is associated with poorer physical health outcomes, such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (Gardner & Brown, 2019).
Interventions
There are several interventions that have been developed to improve body esteem. For example, body image-focused therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for improving body esteem, as well as reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety (Gardner & Brown, 2019). Additionally, self-compassion has been found to be an effective intervention for increasing body esteem, as well as decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression (Lazarus et al., 2020).
Conclusion
In conclusion, body esteem is a complex construct of self-perception that involves a person’s overall evaluation of their physical appearance, health status, and physical capabilities. It is associated with a variety of psychological and physical health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and wellbeing. There are a number of interventions that have been developed to improve body esteem, such as body image-focused therapy and self-compassion.
References
Gardner, R. M., & Brown, T. A. (2019). Body image, body esteem, and mental health. Current Opinion in Psychology, 27, 63–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.08.015
Lazarus, C., Edwards, K., & Ciarrochi, J. (2020). Self-compassion, body esteem, and mental health: A systematic review. Body Image, 32, 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.004
Martz, D. M., Ruble, A. E., Hessenauer, M. L., & Keating, D. P. (2018). Body esteem: A comprehensive review. Body Image, 25, 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.03.003
Swami, V., Barron, D., Furnham, A., & Tovee, M. J. (2006). An exploration of the factor structure and concurrent validity of the body esteem scale. Body Image, 3(3), 287-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.03.001