Body Image and Mental Health
In the age of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and escalated social media use, many individuals may feel increasing societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. In fact, body image issues are accelerating rapidly with up to seventy-five percent of young adults experiencing distress globally. Fifty-three percent of American girls report body dissatisfaction by age thirteen, which surges to seventy-eight percent by age seventeen and to approximately eighty-four percent for women overall according to the National Eating Disorders Association.
Body Image
One’s body image may be influenced by a plethora of factors and can fluctuate across time. There are four elements that create one’s sense of body image – perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Perceptual describes one’s perception of their body image, which may not reflect reality. Affective body image illustrates how one feels about how they look, which may involve a mix of both positive, negative, or neutral emotions relating to different aspects of one’s body. Cognitive depicts how one thinks about their body image; for example, if they experience negative self-talk centering around thinking they’d be more well-liked or have a successful dating life if they were thinner. Lastly, behavioral body image is characterized by one’s actions in relation to their body image such as exercising more, dieting, or engaging with a cosmetic procedure or other medical intervention.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition defined by preoccupation with one’s appearance that extends beyond standard insecurities that present when looking at one’s reflection. Body dysmorphic disorder is debilitating and can drastically impact one’s social functioning due to anxiety, depression, disordered eating behaviors, low self-esteem, feelings of shame and guilt, and even financial strain from addiction to cosmetic procedures. Symptoms of BDD can manifest as excessive mirror checking, compulsive camouflaging, reassurance seeking, social comparison, and skin or hair picking.
Improving Body Image
While body dysmorphic disorder and other body image related experiences can have a devastating impact on quality of life, treatment is available. Identifying triggers can be beneficial. For example, one might limit their social media consumption or follow more creators with diverse bodies, shapes, and sizes. In addition, engaging in community spaces that feel safe and nonjudgemental and creating boundaries with certain people or environments that promote negative self-talk and unrealistic body expectations. Practice utilizing mirror affirmations such as “my body takes care of me, and I take care of my body” in order to cultivate a relationship between the body and self. One may also shift from body positivity, which can feel inauthentic or inaccessible and instead focus on body neutrality or body liberation, which promotes autonomy, diversity, and revolves around the function of the body. Lastly, if you or a loved one are struggling with body image, it is important to seek professional mental health care.
Reach out to Embrace Therapy to speak with a mental health provider or ask about additional resources and support.
