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