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