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You know that saying “show me your 5 closest friends and I’ll show you your future”? Well, similarly, show me your 5 closest friends and how they talk about their bodies/how much they value physical appearance and I’ll show you that it affects your body image.

Yeah, it actually does.

So, what’s this study?

Well, new research from University of Waterloo in Canada looked at if relationships with other people could impact the relationship people have with their own body. They looked at if people felt happier about themselves around certain people as opposed to others, and if so, why?

The study:

87 young women took part in the study which had them list all the important people in their lives in the last 2 years. From that list, 10 people were randomly chosen and the participants were then asked a series of questions about these people and about themselves. For example, when I’m with Mary, I feel good about my body!

The results:

The most important result is the fact that the women reported feeling very differently about their bodies with different relationships.

Overall, participants reported feeling more positively: more loving, appreciative, and accepting of their body when they were around people who weren’t preoccupied with physical appearance. They also reported being able to eat more freely and intuitively around people who were more accepting of their body.

This study suggests that we feel differently about ourselves when in the presence of different people. With one person, you might feel loving and accepting of yourself and have a great time with no intrusive thoughts about your body. Meanwhile, you may feel completely insecure in your sense of self with someone else.

Societal pressures matter

Societal pressures clearly impact how we feel about ourselves. Prior research has even shown that appearance pressures we feel from our social network determines how we feel about our body.

Not to mention, studies have also shown that hearing negative body talk about someone else’s body can make you feel insecure about your own body!

So, take note of who you feel your best around

Who makes you feel at ease? Who makes you feel good about yourself? Do they not drain you of your energy? Choose those people. Like Michelle Obama would say, find your LeBron in all your relationships.

Being more mindful of where you spend your mental and physical time will be the best thing for you . It might hurt temporarily but you can make new relationships that are more satisfying for you.

If you need new friends or a fiery, new relationship, find it on the Clover Dating app! Don’t miss out on getting to know each other better and hop on a live video date, instead!

If you’re media and want to reach our Editor, email Moira Ghazal at social @clover. co