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