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