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