Demystifying Body Image Issues
The way we perceive our bodies can impact how we think and feel about ourselves. Our body image may influence everything from the clothes we wear and the activities we do to the careers we pursue and the people we surround ourselves with. If we have a negative body image, our quality of life will suffer.
We may try to fix our body image issues by attempting to control and change our bodies through diet, exercise, or cosmetic procedures. But body image issues typically don’t disappear as our appearance changes. In fact, we’re often left even more dissatisfied with how we look.
Body image issues may seem like vanity problems, but they cause real distress and damage when we don’t know how to cope with them. It’s important to understand how body image issues impact our lives and what we can do to work through them.
What Is Body Image?
Body image is more than how we see ourselves physically. It’s also about how we react to that perception and how it impacts our daily lives. We can look at body image as having four components:
Perceptual body image: This is the way you see your body. Your view of your body may be distorted, meaning what you see in the mirror is different from what others see.
Affective body image: This is the way you feel about your body. If you have a negative view of your body, your body image may bring up feelings of disgust, shame, or embarrassment.
Cognitive body image: This is how you think about your body. If you suffer from body image issues, you may struggle with obsessive thoughts about your weight, body shape, size, or individual parts of your body.
"Part of healing from poor body image involves moving the focus of one's anger from their body to the systems that tell them that their body isn't ok as it is." - Marcella Cox, Founder and Executive Director of Kindful Body
Behavioral body image: This is what you do in response to how you think and feel about your body. Body image-related behaviors may include body checking, dressing in ways that hide your body, dieting, seeking constant validation or approval, pursuing cosmetic procedures, and avoiding social events.
Types of Body Image Issues
Not all body image issues result in disordered eating. In fact, some body image issues have nothing to do with weight. Here are the different types of body image issues:
Body dysmorphia:
Body dysmorphia or Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is characterized by an intense fixation on a perceived flaw or flaws. A person with body dysmorphia may obsess over a particular facial feature like their eyes, nose, or complexion, or a body part like their stomach or chest.
People who struggle with body dysmorphia may also have perfectionistic tendencies in other areas of their lives.
They may seek out plastic surgery or other methods of “fixing” their perceived flaws.
Muscle dysmorphia:
Muscle dysmorphia is a type of body dysmorphia that centers around muscle tone. Sometimes called “bigorexia,” this disorder occurs when someone is preoccupied with having larger muscles. Muscle dysmorphia is typically a male body image issue that can be triggered by fitness culture and the media’s obsession with muscular men. A person with muscle dysmorphia may engage in steroid use and/or excessive weightlifting.
Body image disturbance/ Body image distortion:
Having body image disturbance or body image distortion is the experience of perceiving one’s body differently from how it actually appears. People with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder often experience body image disturbance/distortion, which fuels their eating disorder behaviors.
Body dissatisfaction:
Body dissatisfaction is an overall negative attitude toward one’s body.
Effects of Body Image Issues
Body image issues can lead to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, exercise addiction, and eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction is linked to general psychological distress and a lower quality of life.
Tips for Bad Body Image Days
Here are Kindful Body clinician’s favorite tips for bad body image days:
Saying mantras related to body image to refer to when you are struggling, such as “This is my body, this is where I live” “Every ounce is sacred” “I am more than my body” and “This is temporary.”
Practicing opposite action: if you think about body checking or staring in the mirror and picking at yourself as a form of self-harm–which it often is–try doing the opposite. Usually when we are in that space what we really need is some comfort and self-care. Go for a walk. Put on some lotion. Get your nails done. Do something that makes you or your surrounding environment feel beautiful.
Surrounding yourself with body positivity (or neutrality) and Health At Every Size social media. Follow people and companies with inclusive, positive messages and marketing that support realistic health, beauty, and body expectations. Unfollow toxic social media accounts that hurt your body image.
Exploring what limitations you put on yourself/what you miss out on by "giving in" to negative body image beliefs and rules.
How We Treat Body Image Issues in California
You don’t have to miss out on life while waiting for the unattainable “perfect” body. With help, you can repair your relationship with your body and truly start living. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you with in-person and online therapy in California. You can start your therapy journey with Kindful Body by following these simple steps:
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with our client care coordinator or call (415) 323- 6755.
Connect with a caring therapist.
Start improving your relationship with your body!
Other Services Offered By Kindful Body
At Kindful Body, we recognize that your body image is shaped by a number of factors, both internal and external. We draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Mindful Self-Compassion, Brené Brown’s Shame Resilience Theory, Intuitive Eating, Health At Every Size®, and Body Trust in our body image therapy approach. We also offer trauma therapy and grief counseling. When you’re ready, we are here to help you with your eating disorder recovery. We also offer eating disorder treatment in Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland/Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Orange County, CA, or anywhere online in California. Learn more about us by checking out our blog and FAQs page!
We offer free 15-minute consultations to all new clients.