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