Question

QUESTION 4
Kati is 22 years of age and has struggled with her weight all her life. She remembers back in primary school how the kids used to call her “fatty” and would not want to play with her. The taunting continued throughout high school however it was subtler. Kati found it difficult to make friends and often found herself excluded from any social events.
Although Kati’s mother is very supportive, but her father would say things like “why don’t you go on a diet” or “what are you eating now it’s only going to make you fatter”. Her elder brother was embarrassed to be seen with her and to make things worse, he is quite athletic.
A few months back, things were starting to turn around for Kati. She began dating with Mamat, and she started exercising and lost about 10 kilograms. Slowly she started feeling better about herself, however the relationship did not last longer. She blames herself for the break-up and believes that Mamat ended the relationship because she is fat. However, when questioned further about this, Kati could not recall a time when Mamat had ever criticized her appearance, in fact he seemed to be very supportive.
Kati also described how her friends have stopped calling her because they say she is constantly criticizing them. Kati stays at home all day and every time she looks in the mirror she thinks how ugly she is. It is important to note that Kati is currently within the healthy weight range for her age and height.

a. According to you, what issue is Kati facing currently? Justify your answers.
       

b. Suggest what Kati should do to improve her condition and how her family and friends could support her?
       

Answer 1

The issue faced by Kati is primarily negative body image. As a result of this, she is found to have low self-esteem and impaired mental health As of now she has not shown any signs of eating disorders, but she is prone to developing any of them if these issues continue. Negative body image experienced is sited through instances where she finds herself ugly and is not satisfied with the way she looks based on inputs from the surrounding people. Low self-esteem is understood when she blames her overweight for the reason for the breakup with her boyfriend Mamat. Staying at home all the time is also evidence that she is depressed.
At this stage, Kati is greatly in need of enhanced self-esteem. Once self-esteem improves all other aspects will automatically get rectified. Here, it is given that Kati is in perfect shape or more simply the fact that BMI is correct as per her weight and height. In such a scenario, she can consult a psychologist for a counseling session that can boost her overall self-esteem. If she is reluctant in meeting a psychologist, she can do it all by herself by reading articles and watching videos of people who are excellent in delivering self-motivation as to overcome negative body image. These would help Kati tackle the issue with her family and friends.