Nancy N. Chen: The inaccurate link between body ideals and health | TED

Transcriber: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer:

譯者: Man Chun Ma 審譯者: Helen Chang

你好，歡迎。

作爲視覺生物，

我們靠影像來理解世界和創造意義。

想像我叫你畫一個人體。

你會怎樣描繪這個身體？

Hello and welcome.

As visual beings,

理想化身體反映

we rely on images to perceive the world

我們物理上和文化上 如何存在的社會意義。

and make meaning.

Imagine I ask you to draw a human body.

我們通常以不同範疇 詮釋身體，包括性別、

How would you depict this body?

種族、

民族、

Body ideals reflect social meanings

階級、

是自己人，

about how we dwell in spaces both physical and cultural.

或者不是，

透過改變，例如頭髮、

皮膚、

衣服。

We often interpret bodies with categories of gender,

作爲醫療人類學家，

我研究關於身體的文化概念，

race,

ethnicity,

class

以及它如何影響處世方式和健康。

and belonging --

or not --

through modifications such as hair,

凹凸有致已存在數千年。

skin,

clothing.

這個石灰岩雕像，

As a medical anthropologist,

稱爲維倫多爾夫的維納斯，

I study cultural concepts about bodies

被認爲反映了兩個 在古代被重視的價值：

and how these shape both being in the world and health.

繁殖和豐腴。

Curvy bodies have been around for millennia.

生育雕像的性感豐滿的曲線表明

The limestone figurine,

known as the Venus of Willendorf,

女性的理想化身體注重 豐滿、充滿曲線的身體，

is considered to reflect two values that were ranked high in the past:

reproduction and abundance.

特別是在農業社會。

低腰臀比，

Fertility figures with voluptuous curves suggest

或者蜂腰體形，

that body ideals for females have focused on full-figured, curvy bodies,

長久以來被認爲更加吸引，

從演化的角度，

以生小孩的能力來說。

especially in agrarian societies.

Low waist-to-hip ratios,

然後發生了變化。

or hourglass figures,

在上個世紀，

理想化身體出現明顯的轉移，

have long been considered to be more attractive,

因爲西方社會在主流媒體不斷增加

from an evolutionary perspective,

in terms of the ability for childbearing.

Then something changed.

對苗條女模特兒的關注。

In the past century,

六十年代的理想化身體 是瑪麗蓮·夢露。

body ideals shifted significantly

when Western societies increasingly featured thin-bodied female models

在七十年代，雜誌精選了崔姬。

那是個巨大轉變，

in mainstream media.

而這種理想化身體繼續變得更苗條。

The Western body ideal in the 1960s was Marilyn Monroe.

由八十年代一直到九十年代，

一般女人的平均尺寸

By the 1970s, magazines featured Twiggy.

與模特尺寸之間的差距變得越來越大。

That’s a huge shift,

and such body ideals continued shrinking.

現實與理想的差距會影響自我意像。

Throughout the 1980s and 90s,

the gap between the average size of regular women

在過去三十年間，

瘦削變成威望的主要寫照，

and the size of models continue to grow.

This gap between actual and ideal can impact self-image.

也與幸福感有關聯。

瘦削的理想身體在全球系統性擴散。

Over the past three decades,

thinness has come to be associated with dominant portrayals of prestige,

軀體變形，

常常伴隨着進食障礙，

in addition to well-being.

在全球各地都可見。

The systemic proliferation of thin body ideals circulates on a global scale.

瘦削變成一個成就，透過食物療法、

避免進食、

Body dysmorphia,

運動——

and often accompanying eating disorders,

甚至手術取得。

在 1998 年，健康食品癡迷症，

can be found around the world.

Thinness has become a matter of achievement through diet regimes,

過度追求健康飲食，

被首次用作一個新種類的進食障礙。

food avoidances,

exercise --

even surgery.

在大流行期間，

In 1998, the category of orthorexia,

社群媒體關注名人紀錄減重的旅程

the obsessive focus on healthy eating,

以及其他轉變。

was coined as a new category of eating disorder.

理想化體型不再只是瘦削。

During this pandemic,

新型的瘦——

social media followed the journeys of celebrities documenting weight loss

精瘦、肌肉發達的身體——

被各種性別、年齡、收入、 世界各地的人所追求，

and other transformations.

Idealized body types aren’t just about thinness anymore.

伴隨着對肥胖的偏見。

New forms of thin --

但是我們要注意很重要的一點是，

lean, muscular bodies --

不是所有社會和文化都 完全接受瘦削爲理想身體。

have come to be pursued across gender,

age,

income

就算在今天，很多文化和族群 仍然認爲豐滿很重要，

and locations with accompanying bias against fat.

It's important to note, however,

that not all societies and cultures fully embrace thin bodies as ideals.

包括黑人、原住民和拉美群體。

而且，美的標準各有不同，

Curves remain significant for many cultures and ethnic groups even today,

也不是單單基於外部特徵。

一份在牙買加鄉村關於 理想身體的早期研究發現，

including Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities.

在當地，身體反映人們的社會關係。

Moreover, standards of beauty differ

不論是分享的液體和食物，

and are not solely based on external features.

在這鄉村環境下，飽滿的身體 被視爲有吸引力、

An earlier study of body ideals in rural Jamaica found

that bodies there are reflections of one’s social relations.

健康、

和招人喜愛

在這幸福感衡量當中。

Whether by shared fluids or food,

瘦削身體在那裡被視爲反社會

plump bodies in this rural context are considered to be desirable,

或者被疏於照顧，沒有社會資本 或關係去養育或照顧他們。

healthy

and loveable

對於豐滿或粗大身體的類似正面觀點

in this measure of well-being.

Thin bodies there were interpreted to be antisocial

在非洲、太平洋島嶼和美國的 民族誌研究中也可以找到。

or neglected without social capital or relations to feed or care for them.

隨着全球化和市場覆蓋率增加，

Similar positive views about ample or thick bodies

理想化身體隨着時間轉變，

have been found in ethnographic studies across Africa,

連鄉村和偏遠地方也一樣。

體重污名，

the Pacific Islands

或者肥胖恐懼症和偏見，

and the U.S.

With increased globalization and market reach,

不只在北半球，在南半球 也一樣更常出現。

body ideals change over time,

even in rural and remote areas.

隨着全球越來越多肥胖症，

Weight stigma,

處理超重和肥胖問題的 公共衛生運動可能會有反效果，

or fat phobia and bias,

are increasingly found not only in the Global North,

因爲它們增強了體重污名。

but also the Global South.

我們如何能夠超越可能對

With increasing obesity around the world,

自尊和自我照顧有害的理想化身體？

public health campaigns to address overweight and obesity may backfire

問題是無論是偏好肥或瘦，

by reinforcing weight stigma.

這些強加於所有人的 理想化身體忽略了一個重點。

How is it possible to move beyond these body ideals

that may be harmful for esteem or self-care?

世上有多種不同的體型、體重和外表。

The problem is that no matter the preference for thick or thin,

但是把外貌和健康合併常常導致

these universally imposed body ideals miss a key point.

不健康地羞辱自己和其他人，

There are many different kinds of body shapes, weight and looks.

只基於過時的理想。

Yet the conflation of appearance with health often facilitates

好消息是身體多樣性被認爲是

社會多樣性、平等和包容的 關鍵組成部分和反映。

unhealthy shaming of oneself or others

based on outdated ideals.

媒體所宣揚的標準刻畫，

The good news is that body diversity is being recognized

以尺寸二號的模特為主，

as a critical component and reflection of social diversity, equity and inclusion.

而平均美國女性是尺寸十六號。

身體多樣性積極分子，

連同早期酷兒和黑人積極分子，

In calling out standard media portrayals,

指出身體羞辱的禍害，

which feature size-two models

而他們提倡要再培訓社會 對系統性理想的視角。

while the average American woman may be a size 16,

body diverse activists,

隨著越來越多身體自愛倡導，

along with earlier queer and Black activists,

各國的廣告活動轉移到

have pointed out the harm of body-shaming

and they advocate instead for retraining social lenses on systemic ideals.

特顯更多多樣性，包括身體、

膚色、

髮型、

With increasing body positive advocacy,

甚至年齡。

另一個提高身體多樣性的方法需要

there’s been a shift in national and global ad campaigns

我們擴展尋找多樣性身體的範圍。

that feature more diversity of bodies,

例如，

體育賽事是展示身體的主要舞台。

skin color,

hairstyles

and even age.

有別於一致性的瘦，

Another way to enhance body diversity entails expanding

不同比例、尺寸和能力

where we look for diverse bodies.

For instance,

都能在運動員身上看見， 無論是奧林匹克、

sports events are major stages where bodies are on display

帕拉林匹克、

或者其他運動員。

除了運動員，

Rather than uniformly thin or lean,

衣服和化妝品的廣告活動

different proportions, sizes and abilities can be seen

也可以特寫一系列普通的消費者，

in the bodies of Olympians,

以表達他們品牌的平易近人和包容性。

Paralympians

and other athletes.

Beyond athletes,

這些都是有效的改善方法

ad campaigns for clothing or cosmetics

去處理理想和每天生活的 真實身體之間的分歧。

may also feature a range of ordinary consumers

to represent their brand as accessible and inclusive.

這些都是處理狹窄的 理想化身體的重要方向，

These approaches are helpful correctives

把擴展多樣性和包容身體

to address the divergence between ideals and actual lived bodies in everyday life.

變成媒體、社群媒體和廣告的焦點。

These are important directions addressing narrow body ideals

但是，這些影像仍然讓我們的視線——

by expanding diversity and inclusion of bodies

通常是很主觀的，

停留在外在身體特徵

that become the focus of media,

而不是客觀地考慮健康，

social media

and advertising.

如果我們關心健康和幸福感，

Nonetheless, these images keep our views,

我們就需要超越身體的標準和理想。

often subjective,

on outer body features

我們需要考慮 健康的身體取決於內在情況，

as opposed to objectively thinking about health.

If we are concerned about health and well-being,

而不應聚焦在外部。

then we need to go beyond body standards or ideals.

醫療人類學家，

醫學和比較知識點歷史，

We need to consider how healthy bodies are based on what’s going on inside,

提供了如何以其他方法 仔細檢查身體的深刻見解。

rather than focusing on externalities.

所有的傳統醫學系統——

Medical anthropology,

阿育吠陀、

中醫、

the history of medicine and comparative knowledge,

古希臘伊斯蘭醫學，

以及原住民的治療知識，

offers insights on how to examine bodies in different ways.

以一個人的生命力量和那些能量

與自然和社會環境的連接來理解身體。

All the classical systems of medicine --

Ayurveda,

Chinese,

Greco-Islamic,

身體的能量品質例如督夏、

as well as Indigenous healing knowledge,

氣，

或者生命精華例如血，

understood bodies through one’s life force

and the energy in connection to natural and social environment.

比外在特徵遠遠更重要。

外部身體是內在的反映，

Energetic qualities of bodies such as dosha,

讓我們瞭解體內的健康和平衡狀況。

chi

or vital essences such as blood,

are much more significant than external features.

幸福感是指能夠得到

The outside body was a reflection of one’s interior

身體與動態關連之間的和諧，

to understand what was happening inside for health and balance.

包括生命物資、人體器官、

以及環境，

去儘量活得更久。

Well-being meant being able to harmonize one’s body

免疫系統和正常菌群是現代的例子。

in relation to dynamic relations between vital substances,

它們幫助理解人體與細菌、

human organs

and one’s environment

to live as long as possible.

微生物和病原體之間的關係，

The immune system and microbiome are contemporary examples.

它們給予我們重塑理想化身體的機會，

They help to understand human bodies in relation to entities such as bacteria,

從內在關注生命活力，

例如代謝健康，

而不只是聚焦在外部 或理想的表現方式。

microbes or pathogens.

These offer key opportunities to reframe body ideals

我們非常需要健康的 身體、社會和環境。

that engage vitality from within,

such as metabolic health,

rather than focus solely on externalities or ideal representations.

我們有各種形狀和特徵， 全都令人嚮往和美麗。

We are in dire need of healthy bodies, societies and environments.

透過關心健康身體，

給予內在生命力更多價值，

We come in all shapes and features that are desirable and beautiful.

考慮生命和環境

以及其他人的關係，

我們可以體會到更健康

By caring for healthy bodies,

和更高共同幸福感的世紀。

placing more value on internal vitality,

我們可以透過觀察內在來開始治癒。

which takes into account living in relation to our environment

我們能夠透過共同關注 生命力而茁壯成長。

and each other,

we might be able to experience better health

and collective well-being in this century.

謝謝。

We can begin to heal by looking within ourselves.

We can thrive by seeing vitality together.

Thank you.