Body image and authenticity are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain authenticity, and authenticity frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Authenticity
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives authenticity
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary authenticity trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as authenticity
How Authenticity Affects Body Image
Authenticity can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Authenticity Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by authenticity
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and authenticity