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