155. Perfectionism and Its Link to Food and Body Image Issues

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perfectionism is something many of us have ingrained in us from an early age. It’s the need to be “good”, to aim for perfection, to please others and put their needs ahead of your own. As females, we’re taught to be soft, compassionate and caring, even if that means ignoring your own desires and needs, and pushing yourself to the point of burnout and exhaustion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This syndrome can also increase your likelihood of developing disordered eating behaviours. When this need to be the “good girl” turns into a need to look “perfect”, or be of a “perfect” weight and size, this can be a slippery slope into eating disorders and disordered eating patterns.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In today’s episode of Holistic Health Radio, we explore how you can</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">stop</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">aiming to be “perfect”, and instead embody a strong, capable person who feels able and empowered to ask for your needs to be met, and to establish boundaries with those around you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By the end of this podcast you'll understand:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Common characteristics of perfectionism in eating disorders and disordered eating</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How unrelenting standards develop and predispose people to disordered eating and exercise behaviours</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bi-directional relationship between perfectionism and eating disorders/disordered eating</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why the need to have the "perfect body" can maintain perfectionist standards</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to know if your self-worth is tied to perfectionism or the perfectionist behaviours you have around food and exercise</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why a person might maintain perfectionist tendencies even when they