Body image and bias are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain bias, and bias frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Bias
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives bias
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary bias trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as bias
How Bias Affects Body Image
Bias 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 Bias 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 bias
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and bias