We now live in a world where previously unimaginable weight loss outcomes are becoming routine. Thanks to GLP-1 medicines such as Wegovy and Zepbound, physical changes previously seen only through bariatric surgery are now achievable by more and more people.1 And this is only the beginning. Within the next few years, not only will even better weight loss medicines become available, they will be combined with medicines such as myostatin inhibitors and activin A inhibitors to protect and even increase lean tissue (i.e., more muscle and stronger bones) while losing body fat.2
Yet despite these incredible metabolic health and weight loss breakthroughs, we still don’t have a pill for improving body image. If you want a better physical body, a GLP-1 medicine, protein-first nutrition, and a personal trainer can likely get you there. But if you also want a better body image to go with it, you’ll likely need more than weight loss or even physical health improvements. That’s where this post can help.
What we get wrong about body image
Two persistent myths prevent many people from feeling happier and more confident about their bodies:
- The first and most vexing body image myth is that a healthy body image simply requires being at a certain weight, size, or having a certain appearance. The truth is that body image is heavily influenced by psychological, social, and cultural factors, not merely physical characteristics. Look only at instances of body dysmorphia and eating disorders — often occurring among younger-aged women and men with exceptional levels of thinness or muscularity — to see evidence that body image is more than physical.3
- The second common myth about body image is the belief that it can’t change. The truth is that no one is born with an unhealthy body image. We learn it. Some people have, unfortunately, acquired an unhealthy body image early in life, making it seem like a permanent part of their identity. However, our body image beliefs are just another example of a “core belief”. While powerful, they can be changed and often must be changed for people to experience lasting breakthroughs in their quality of life.
How body image really works
If body image isn’t just a reflection of our physical bodies, what is it? As illustrated in the image below, there are in fact four contributors to our body image.
- Psychology (our self-talk, core beliefs, and values).
- Physical (how we look and feel. Our physical health and function).
- Social (the feedback we receive from important others about our bodies).
- Cultural (the broader cultural standards and ideals against which we reference our own bodies).
Realizing that body image struggles can come from many sources, not just one, is itself an epiphany for many people who’ve found that their body image remains poor even when they’ve lost weight. For some people, their physical bodies are a major source of their body image struggles, while for others, psychological, social, or cultural factors play a larger role. Practically, this means that if you’ve made positive health and physical changes and are still struggling with your body image, it is important to consider other potential contributors to your symptoms.
Improving body image psychology
Here is a short and practical exercise for improving body image using a psychological approach. In this exercise, we will illustrate some of the common core beliefs people have that can cause body image struggles (“weak” core beliefs in the below image) and compare them to alternative core beliefs they can adopt to cultivate a healthier body image (“strong” core beliefs).
Seeing these core beliefs in black and white can be powerful. For most people, most of the time, the core beliefs they have about their body image are unconscious. But even though we may not be aware of them, they are strongly influencing how we think, feel, and behave in relation to our bodies.
It can also be motivating to see direct examples of strong and empowering core beliefs about body image. If a person has lived most of their life “under the spell” of weak core beliefs about their body, these beliefs can seem like unassailable facts to them with no alternative perspective to consider. Seeing these improved alternatives firsthand offers us a kind of body image “North Star” by which to navigate positive personal change.
Just as important as seeing these examples of “weak” and “strong” core beliefs about body image is the need to personalize them and practice. For example, taking the time to re-write the above “strong” core beliefs into your own words can make them dramatically more effective than in their generic form. And practicing the core beliefs that you wish to make your new norm is an essential part of the process. Repetition is the mother of skill, after all, whether we are learning to play the piano or internalize the core beliefs necessary to experience a better life.
