Seeing self is susceptible to environmental and cultural influences. A mirror confers a non distorted image of reality.
Distorted perceptions of self are culprits of serious psychiatric disorders such as anorexia nervosa. A human is not immune to the cultural influences of society.
This painting shows a teenage girl looking at a mirror and perceiving herself as morbidly obese.
Such psychiatric disorders stem from emphasis on the desire to look slim.This represents an enviromental influence quite common in the more developed regions of the world..
Anorexia Nervosa
I don’t like my body shape.
I am morbidly obese.
My face is moon-like shaped.
My chin feels heavy.
It hangs beneath my jaw.
My breasts are like mountain big.
They are heavy. They pull down my shoulders.
They cause me to hurt
I feel a wave of fatty folds on my belly.
They cover my groin area.
There is a lot of wetness in between these folds.
Wetness irrtates my skin.
My thighs are coarse and big.
There is no space in between them.
This is how I see self.
My friends see me the opposite.
They are concerned about me being emaciated.
My family is concerned about me.
They see me starving self to death.
I feel very energetic, despite my heavy weight.
I need to lose more weight.
I will burn more calories.
I Will exercise 4 hours a day.
My doctor is concerned.
He urges me to get an immediate care.
Do I need care?
I still perceive self being obese.
I hate obesity. It makes me feel ugly.
I wish I were slim.
Why everybody is concerned about me!
I am healthy. I just see self obese.
It makes me feel depressed.
Food is disgusting.
It caused me to gain weight.
That is why I am fighting this battle.
I wihed I looked like a supermodel.
Have you ever seen an obese supermodel?
Dr mohamed Osman,MD
Physician & Artist
