by Bridget Webber

Created on: August 15, 2007   Last Updated: March 27, 2011

How you perceive your weight can make a huge difference to your self esteem. The way you see yourself however, may not reflect reality. Many people suffer from false perception when it comes to body weight. Insecurity can lead them to imagine that they’re larger, and heavier than they are.

There is a new 'dis-ease' sweeping the nation with regards to self perception and weight. When many of us look in the mirror reflected back in our own minds eye is not a realistic portrayal of our physical selves. This is because how we feel about ourselves is revealed to us in how clearly we are able to view ourselves.

For years I was camera shy, attempting to fade away in the background at family gatherings when the cameras came out. I was convinced that I was an eyesore and would spoil photographs. When I was caught on camera by mistake I was always pictured pulling a face or with my eyes firmly shut. It was as if I stopped myself from seeing the camera perhaps it wouldn't be able to pick up my image. I was sure I looked huge and unattractive.

Recently some photographs of me were taken and I was surprised at the results. It turns out that I am alright after-all! The photographic paper hasn't shrivelled because I am pictured on it and I can view the pictures without recoiling with horror. At last I am able to see my whole self, instead of picking out areas of me that I have found unacceptable. I realize now that it has been my own poor self perception that colored my previous view on how I imagined I looked before, rather than my actual physical appearance.

If you feel that others look better in photographs than you and you try to hide when you see a camera it could be that what you are suffering from is a poor self image, rather than a poor physical one.

It may be you feel that you look unattractive and large, but in reality are much better to behold than you can imagine.

It can be difficult to separate emotional feelings about yourself from physical appearance. It would seem that one colors our view, often distorting it, from the other.

Sometimes the weight that we carry is an emotional burden, not a physical burden. All the dieting and exercising in the world cannot cure this. It is only via creating a new and better sense of self esteem that the weight decreases and we can see ourselves as we truly are.

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