Parenting Australia

"Yummy Mummy" Adds To Body Image Concerns

Aussie mums are feeling the pressure to be ‘yummy mummies’, according to a psychological study that investigated the impact of sexy celebrity mothers depicted in the media on women’s post-pregnancy body image. The study found that almost 50 per cent of mothers feel unhappy about their body, up to a year after giving birth.

“Images in the media of gorgeous, slim women who have just had a baby have added to the perception that women must lose weight soon after giving birth,” said study author and psychology researcher, Lucia Bongiorno, who will present her findings at the Australian Psychological Society’s 44th Annual Conference in Darwin, from 30 September to 4 October 2009.“More than ever before, women are focused on losing their extra baby weight.”

Ms Bongiorno said that women described the ‘yummy mummy’ as well dressed, slim, beautiful, fit and sexy.

“While many women feel the yummy mummy has the ideal figure, they believe it’s an unrealistic size or shape to set as a goal for themselves. Instead they compare their body to their friends or other mothers their age.

“Women will model their weight loss or fitness goals on the people they see regularly, who they feel are an accurate reflection of who they are, could or should be.”

The study found that women with the lowest body self-esteem compared their body more frequently and felt the least satisfied about their body shape.

“These women tend to focus on other peoples bodies to make positive and negative comparisons, which often made them feel more dissatisfied about their own bodies,” Ms Bongiorno said.

“It’s hard to avoid the message that slim is beautiful. The message is strong, ubiquitous and resonates through lots of different media.

“Becoming a mum is a huge achievement, our body size and shape should be the least of our worries after giving birth. Remember you have just created and brought a life into this world and that’s something to celebrate.”

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