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