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