{
  "id": 11479093,
  "title": "The risk of looking back at former versions of ourselves",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/the-risk-of-looking-back-at-former-versions-of-ourselves",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T16:20:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-versions.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This recent study from The Ohio State University reveals that people often engage in self-oriented comparisons of their current appearance with earlier versions of themselves, which can have detrimental effects on body image and eating behaviors. While social comparison research has extensively examined how individuals measure themselves against others, this study is the first to focus on the impact of comparing oneself to past selves. Researchers found that upward self-oriented comparison, where individuals compare their current appearance to a past version they perceived as more attractive, is strongly linked to negative body image, body shame, rumination, and disordered eating. Conversely, downward self-oriented comparison, where individuals compare their current appearance to a past version they perceived as less attractive, is associated with lower levels of shame, higher appearance pride, and increased body appreciation. The study's authors emphasize that clinicians should not solely focus on how clients compare themselves to others, but also on how they compare themselves to previous versions of themselves. The findings highlight the need to consider ageism and the lack of research on the aging process in body image studies, as people often compare themselves to older versions of themselves as they age.",
  "summary": "For decades, body image researchers have focused almost exclusively on how we compare ourselves to others and the toll it takes on our well-being. But a new study from The Ohio State University shows that we are often our own worst critics, especially when comparing who we are today with past versions of ourselves.",
  "key_points": [
    "Comparing current appearance to past selves can harm body image and eating behaviors",
    "Upward comparison to past attractive selves linked to negative body image and disordered eating",
    "Downward comparison to past less-attractive selves boosts body pride and appreciation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}