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