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