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