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