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