Holding Space: A Conversation on Body Image and Body Dysmorphia Artwork

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Hi, I’m Mairi, a registered ANutr Nutritionist and CIMSPA qualified personal trainer from Scotland. I want to change the way we view our health and make healthy living easy and accessible for everyone. I want to provide you with awareness and knowledge so that you can implement a healthy lifestyle now! Come along on my journey and let’s talk health.

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Holding Space: A Conversation on Body Image and Body Dysmorphia

May 30, 2025 • Mairi • Season 2 • Episode 8

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Hey everyone! In today’s episode, we’re getting real about something that affects so many of us but often goes unspoken: body image and body dysmorphia. This isn’t a polished, perfect conversation—it’s an honest one. In this episode, I hold space for the messy and complicated relationships we have about body image and body dysmorphia.

I feel I struggle so much with body image issues, and most of us feel the same. Let's talk about it.

💬 In this episode, we chat about:

What is body dysmorphia?
What are the symptoms and treatment?
What's causing it?
Societal impacts - not being 'skinny enough' or 'muscly enough'.
Personal experiences.

📝 Journal Prompts:

What is my first memory of being aware of my body? How did it make me feel?
When do I feel most comfortable in my body? When do I feel most disconnected?
What messages have I received (from family, media, culture) about how my body should look? How have they shaped how I see myself?
What would I say to my younger self about their body?
If my body could talk, what would it say to me today? What would I want to say back?
How do I define beauty for myself—beyond what I’ve been told?
What are three ways I can care for my body without focusing on how it looks?
What would self-acceptance look like today, even if I’m not “there yet”?

⚠️ Heads up:

Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist or a doctor. This conversation is to hold space for something that may impact so many. I do touch on sensitive topics like body image struggles and mental health. Take care while listening, and skip or pause if you need to. Please speak to your GP if you are struggling with body dysmorphia.

Thanks for being here and thank you for listening!

References:

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/body-dysmorphia/

Pope Jr, H.G., Gruber, A.J., Choi, P., Olivardia, R. and Phillips, K.A., 1997. Muscle dysmorphia: An underrecognized form of body dysmorphic disorder. Psychosomatics, 38(6), pp.548-557.

Vashi, N.A., 2016. Obsession with perfection: Body dysmorphia. Clinics in dermatology, 34(6), pp.788-791.