Are Body Transformation Pictures Impacting Your Mental Health?

Photo by Szabolcs Toth on Unsplash

How do you feel when you see someones before and after body transformation pictures? Is it inspiring you to make your own health changes? Or, s it just making you feel like that’ll never be you, or that you aren’t already enough just as you are?

Despite being a health coach, I can sometimes sit on either side of this conversation, so I find this an interesting topic.

I have seen my fair share of body transformation pictures, they litter my social media feeds, they were just part of normal practice to help clients track progress but also as an effective way to market my services to others. I have shared clients’ transformations on my pages, I have taken pictures of myself to track my progress, I have been a part of this.

But could they be contributing to people living with body dissatisfaction and are damaging to mental health?

Comparison is the thief of joy — Theodore Roosevelt

Not only do they cause self-comparison which we have all heard the above quote, comparing yourself to others will never lead you to happiness. But these transformation pictures can also be incredibly misleading. Good lighting, flexed muscles v’s relaxed. Some transformations can be seen by just adjusting posture and a quick flex…