"Be kind to yourself", message from doctor as Love Island returns to ITV
Survey suggests half of people in the East prioritise having a so-called 'summer body' over a healthy lifestyle
Last updated 5th Jun 2023
As summer rolls in and our priorities shift, new research has found that half of people in the East of England prioritise having a "summer ready" body over leading a healthy lifestyle.
The survey of over 2,000 adults was carried out online by Research Without Barriers and was conducted between 19 and 23 May 2023.
It has also shown that on average 2 in 5 people in the UK place greater emphasis on their appearance ahead of summer, compared to any other time of the year, with nearly half (48%) admitting that losing weight is a priority.
But with TV shows like Love Island depicting an almost unattainable body figure at times, health experts want people to challenge what a healthy body looks like, and are urging them to focus on a balanced diet and good sleep in order improve how we feel about ourselves.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, TV doctor, Dr Zoe Williams, gave some advice.
"Your body can be healthy in lots of different ways and lots of different shapes and sizes. So solely thinking about our external appearance is not necessarily good for our mindset or great for our mental health.
"On TV, magazines, social media, what we see isn't always reflective of society and I think you've got to bear that in mind. If you're watching a show like Love Island and you're not seeing a body shape or a body size like yours being represented, the key message is that being healthy is about many different aspects of your life and your lifestyle."
Dr Zoe added:
"Restricting what you eat isn't necessarily good for you, but shifting towards putting the most nourishing foods in your body is, so you know eating lots of fibre, lots of whole grains, diversifying it and lots of colourful fruit and vegetables.
"Good food, sleep, relationships, stress - all of these things combined add up to where your health is at, it's not just about your body shape and body size, which makes up a very small part of it."
Dr Zoe went on to explain how to challenge the little voice in your head that says you're not fit enough, with a challenge.
"As much as I stand here and say we should all go into summer not worrying about what we look like and not worrying about being judged, the reality is that most of us do, but we do have the power within our own psychology to reframe it.
"As you look at yourself in the mirror, put your best friend's face on your body and see how you would judge them then? The chances are you'd be way kinder to them than you would to yourself.
"The most important and the longest relationship you'll ever have is the relationship with yourself, yet we tend to be less kind and judge ourselves more harshly... So the message is treat yourself with at least as much kindness as you do towards other people that you care about."