Have you ever made a joke at your own expense? Putting yourself down – even humorously – could be contributing to poor body image, say researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK.
Published in the journal Humor, the study – the first of its kind – looked at how styles of humour in women are connected to self-image and eating habits.
The researchers surveyed 216 people and found that women who aggressively put themselves down were more likely to hold critical views of their bodies, want to slim down, and engage in emotional eating.
“Having a negative body image can affect all areas of a person’s life and lead to depression and social anxiety,” said Dr Fabio Fasoli, Lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Surrey.
“Often people don’t talk openly about how they view their bodies, but how a person speaks about themselves through humour can provide valuable insights into such feelings.”
By contrast, those who used self-enhancing humour – good-natured jokes that built themselves up – were less likely to be emotional eaters and more likely to have a positive body image, said Jane Ogden, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey.
“People using themselves as the butt of jokes is often a technique to get approval from others, but it can also signify that something more worrying is going on in that person’s life.
“This type of humour can indicate that a person is struggling with their body image and self-esteem, which can have a long-lasting effect on their life,” she said.
A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t make that mean joke about someone else, don’t make it about yourself, either!
