Understanding and improving body insecurity

What is body insecurity?

If you have a distorted or negative body image, you may also suffer from body insecurity. It typically leads to an unrealistic view of your body. People of all genders may experience body insecurity.

The four aspects of body image

• Perceptual: The way you see yourself, which is not always an accurate representation of how you appear to others.
• Affective: The way you feel about the way you look, concerning your weight, shape, and appearance.
• Cognitive: The thoughts and beliefs you have about your body, e.g., I would feel better about myself if I were thinner.
• Behavioral: The things you do concerning how you perceive yourself, e.g., if you’re insecure about your body, you may engage in destructive behaviors, such as disordered eating and excessive exercise, in the hope that it will change how you see yourself. Or you may isolate yourself from others as you’re embarrassed about how you look.

Research shows that body insecurity can lead to mentally and physically unhealthy habits, which can include:³ 

• Disordered eating, including restriction, bingeing, and purging behaviors
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Low self-esteem
• Relationship issues
• Self-harming behaviors
• Muscle dysmorphia

What causes body insecurity?

Body image is complex, rarely being as simple as “I like” or “I don’t like” my body. You begin to form perceptions of your body’s health, functionality, acceptability, and attractiveness in early childhood. Body image continues to evolve with age and is influenced by feedback from family, peers, and friends.

Several factors usually contribute to the development of body insecurity and body image concerns. In today’s society, the media plays a key role in how people perceive themselves. Through TV, the internet, magazines, and advertising, people are bombarded with images of unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards.

These stylized and heavily edited pictures promote image and body ideals which reaffirm that within our culture, for women, thin is beautiful, and for men, lean and muscular is the ideal body shape. People who are nonbinary or other genders may also feel pressure to be thin and/or have no curves to fit a narrow stereotype of androgyny. It sends the message that if you don’t fit these ideals, then you should be dissatisfied with your body.

Other factors that may contribute to body insecurity include:²

• Gender: Adolescent girls are generally believed to have higher levels of body insecurity. However, recent research indicates that body satisfaction among adolescent boys is rapidly approaching that of girls. People who are intersex, transgender, and/or nonbinary also have high levels of body insecurity, which can also be caused by experiences of gender dysphoria. 
• Age: Late childhood and adolescence are particularly crucial periods when it comes to forming beliefs about body image. However, body insecurity can affect people throughout their lifetime.
• Certain personality traits: People with perfectionist tendencies, high achievers, or those with rigid thinking are at higher risk of developing body insecurity.
• Appearance teasing: Those who have been previously mocked for their appearance—particularly body size—regardless of their actual weight and shape, are at greater risk of developing body insecurity.
• Family history: Individuals who grow up in an environment where family members regularly diet to lose weight or criticize their bodies are more likely to be insecure about their bodies.
• Certain mental health issues: People with anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression are more likely to have a negative body image.

What are the signs of body insecurity?

If you’re wondering if you’re suffering from body insecurity, consider the following questions:

• Do you go to extreme lengths to avoid seeing your body?
• Do you obsessively self-scrutinize in mirrors?
• Do you frequently compare your shape and size to others or envy other people’s bodies?
• Do you often think disparaging thoughts about your own body?
• Do you compulsively check your body, for example, by weighing yourself or taking body measurements?
• Do your feelings about your body impact your relationships or day-to-day lives
• Do you wear baggy clothing to hide your body?

If you answered yes to one or more questions, it’s likely that you have body insecurity (or body image disturbance) and may want to consider talking to a therapist before your issues around your body escalate.

Take our self-assessment questionnaire

5 ways to improve body insecurity and poor body image

Body insecurity can negatively affect physical and mental health.² Furthermore, having body security is associated with better self-esteem, improved self-acceptance, and a healthy outlook and behaviors.

It’s not always easy to turn a negative body image into a positive body image, but there are strategies that can help reduce the frequency and disruptiveness of negative body image thoughts. The more you practice these thought patterns, the more natural it will be to feel positive about the body you have.⁴

Appreciate the ways your body supports you 

Can you think of anything that your body does for you that you appreciate? Does your body help you breathe, digest food, heal from injuries, interact with other people, or read or write stories? All bodies function in slightly different ways, and it can be helpful to appreciate how your body specifically supports you, even if it doesn’t do everything that some other bodies do or that it may have done in the past.

Shift your mindset toward appreciating your body for what it does for you rather than what you look like. This is called body neutrality.

Don’t compare yourself to others

Every person on this planet is unique, and it’s our differences that make us special. Appreciating the beauty of others doesn’t make you any less beautiful. 

Write a list of ten things you like about yourself that aren’t related to your size or how you look, and read the list often. It will remind you of your value and that beauty is only skin-deep.

Set yourself non-weight-related goals 

Many people who struggle with body insecurity believe they need to wait until they are a certain weight or body shape to do things they want to do, like getting a tattoo, trying a new activity, taking a trip, dating, or wearing certain styles of clothes. 

Focusing on what you want to do or accomplish in your body as it is right now, and then taking steps to make those things happen, rather than trying to change your body first, can make your life more enjoyable and less dictated by your weight. 

Challenge negative thoughts

It can be helpful to challenge the voices in your head that tell you that your body isn’t good enough or that you would be happier if you looked different. Using positive affirmations is helpful for some people with body dissatisfaction, while for others, journaling about these difficult thoughts can make them less oppressive. 

Offering yourself caring, pleasurable activities, such as a relaxing bubble bath, taking time to read a book, or enjoying delicious food, can also help build a more positive relationship with yourself and your body. 

Be critical of social media

What you see on social media is rarely real. Many images presented online are unrealistic and represent a minority of the population. If an advertising image, slogan, or campaign makes you feel bad about yourself, unfollow that brand or account.

Focus on wearing clothing and makeup that make you feel comfortable, rather than trying to follow every trend or emulate the body type of models or influencers.

Treatment for body insecurity and negative body image

If you’re not getting the hoped-for results from self-help methods for improving body insecurity, there are also effective treatments available.⁵

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Research consistently shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a kind of talk therapy, is effective in improving body image.¹ During CBT, your therapist will help you identify disordered thinking patterns and reframe your thoughts so they are more accurate and kinder.

You might also learn relaxation techniques to combat the stress and anxiety that often accompany a negative body image.

Psychotherapy for body image concerns

A licensed therapist can work with you to discover the underlying causes and triggers for your body insecurity and any body image issues. Talking with someone about the experiences that have shaped your body image may help you change your misguided beliefs about your body.

Psychotherapy provides a safe space to talk about your thoughts without the fear of judgment. Plus, a therapist can educate you about the negative consequences a poor body image can have on your physical and mental health, and help implement effective changes.

Medication

In conjunction with therapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be prescribed to help you cope with the anxiety that can accompany a poor body image. Your healthcare provider will help determine if this medication is appropriate for you.