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The Relationship Between Body Image, Mental Health And Sports

  • Writer: abbyklake
    abbyklake
  • Mar 10, 2022
  • 3 min read

One of the biggest factors that still plays a massive role in keeping sports participation low is body image, which refers to the way a person perceives themselves.


Although the past few years has allowed us the opportunity to truly open up meaningful and in-depth conversations around body positivity and inclusivity, we have also witnessed a massive increase in mental health and eating disorders.


For example, according to the Mirror in their June, 2021 article ‘Eating disorder crisis looms after body concerns rise 263% during pandemic’, data has revealed a 50% surge in body image worries among 11 to 19-year-olds since last spring.


Likewise, the Guardian reported how “suicidal youngsters are not being referred or supported by care professionals’ in their article ‘NHS is failing half of young people with mental health issues’.


In the meantime, surveys conducted by organisations such as Women in Sport and Sport England found that, for example as reported by the Guardian: “A recent Sport England report found that 75% of the women they surveyed wanted to take part in sport, but were inhibited by fear of being judged on their appearance and ability.”


And these are only three examples of the many news articles and reports that were released over the past two years surrounding this very topic – even including sport elites and professionals. Consequently, experts have warned the UK is facing its biggest mental health and eating disorder crisis ever.


There are many different factors that people argue have caused this surge in mental health and eating disorders, such as social media apps, the fashion and media industry, the strict rules of different sports (weightlifting requiring certain body weight, for example) and family and social pressures too. And everyone is right.


Sometimes only one of these factors impact a person and often times it can be many of these (and more).


In terms of the correlation between body image and sports participation, it’s pretty simple. The more positive one feels about themselves and their body, the more likely they are to participate in sports. Likewise, the worse one feels about their body, the less likely they will get involved in sports.


It’s important to highlight here that body image isn’t just to do with the way one perceives the way they look although that is a massive part of it. Body image can also be impacted by one’s physical fitness, health and psychology, just to name a few.


However, when a person does not participate in physical activity or sports due to their negative perceptions of themselves, which impacts their self-esteem and confidence in the meantime, naturally their mental health and body image only gets worse.


This is because, as you may very well know, sports plays a massive role in improving one’s emotional health and well-being as well as their physical fitness, and when these get worse due to this lack of participation, the more one’s body image spirals out of control. This then leads to an even worse relationship with themselves and food and mental health.


And so we’re back to that vicious cycle of even less participation in sports and physical activity and consequently even worse body image.


Moving forwards, sport and charity organisations are doing their best to offer helplines and advice on getting back into sports and physical activity while dealing with mental health and body image and the UK Government are starting to make enquiries and researching more into these major issues too (as you can read for yourself here).


For example, according to a Daily Mail article, Public Health England are currently pushing for Brits to introduce healthier habits through their Better Health Campaign after finding lockdown caused many to gain one stone and more in weight thanks to increased comfort eating and inactivity due to closed gyms and restrictions.


However, with Covid-19 still preventing the NHS from being able to address the current mental health crisis and having had such a massive impact on the daily lives of everyone, there is clearly a very long way to go.



Mental Health and Eating Disorder Charities and Organisations:


By Abby K Lake



Also available to read at Pulse Social, where I completed my 12 week internship in 2021: https://pulsesocial.co.uk/blogs/f/the-relationship-between-body-image-mental-health-and-sports

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