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