5 Tips to Manage Body Image Distress in the Summer
Written by: Masumi Yoshimoto, RD, LD, CEDS
How to cope with body image distress while in eating disorder recovery over the summer.
Body image refers to how one perceives one’s body. Body image can be positive, where one may like their appearance and enjoy aspects of their body, or negative, where one dislikes their appearance and is dissatisfied with aspects of their body. Negative body image can be distressing to the individual, potentially contributing to avoidance of social events, wearing baggy clothing to cover up one’s body, or changing eating habits to control how others perceive one’s body shape or size. Body image distress has been on the rise in recent years, and is correlated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and low self-esteem. (Milton et al., 2021) (Paterna et al., 2021) Poor body image is also associated with higher eating disorder rates. (Mitchison et al., 2016) (Paterna et al., 2021)
For those in or pursuing eating disorder recovery, body image distress is often a difficult aspect to overcome. Especially as the weather turns warmer and thicker clothing gets put away for the season, body image can become a bigger concern. This blog post will discuss 5 tips to managing body image distress this summer.
Cultivating A Better Body Image
1. Wear clothing that feels comfortable
Remember that clothing is meant to fit you, not the other way around! Since ready to made clothing made its way into the market in the mid-1800s, the expectation that we are meant to fit into certain sizes rose. However, since the clothing item is not tailored to unique body shapes, choosing sizes becomes guess work. When shopping for clothing, remember that the size on the label only means something for the company that makes it, not for anyone else. Whether you fit into a size small or size triple X, your value does not change! Remember to practice self care when shopping for clothing and be gentle with yourself.
Also, wearing clothing that you feel comfortable in extends to wearing clothing that fits your identity and style. Wearing clothing that we like and feel good in can make one feel more confident. There may be unspoken pressure to wear certain types of clothing in the summer, but there is no need to push yourself past your comfort zone to conform (unless it is an exposure you set up with your therapist or dietitian!).
2. Limit body checking
Body checking refers to compulsive behaviors that consciously or subconsciously monitor one’s body, shape, or size. It can include weighing, measuring, checking one’s body in reflections, pinching parts of one’s body, and more. Although body checking can relieve anxiety in the moment, it tends to drive up anxiety over one’s body shape or size in the long run and worsen body image outcomes. (Walker et al., 2018)
Limiting body checking starts with noticing how often one is body checking. Then, comes trying to decrease how often or long it occurs for, then cessation of the behaviors. If this feels too hard, setting a certain time to body check for 5-10 minutes everyday and not doing it the rest of the day can be a compromise until you feel comfortable enough to decrease or stop the behaviors.
3. Challenge negative body image thoughts
Negative body image thoughts come in all shapes and sizes, just like bodies. So, finding ways to challenge them can be tricky. But, working with your dietitian or therapist to challenge negative body image thoughts can help!
In the meantime, some techniques to challenge negative body image thoughts could look like practicing positive affirmations, using the phrase “so what?” against the thought, or fact checking the thought. Catching when you are engaging in mind reading by thinking “I bet that person is thinking [insert something negative] about me” can also be a sneaky way body image thoughts can make their way in. Challenging these thoughts by thinking about the likelihood they actually are thinking something negative about you vs anything else or something positive about you can be helpful.
4. Switch up your social media
Time spent on social media has been directly correlated to worse body image outcomes, especially when it comes to visual based social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. (Holland & Tiggeman, 2016) Limiting time on social media or working to change one’s algorithm into a more positive environment can help reduce body image distress. Utilizing functions like ad blocking, “not interested” buttons, and content censoring can help limit your feed from having triggering content in it. Taking breaks from social media as needed and focusing on other joyful activities can be beneficial as well.
5. Practice gratitude and joy
The phrase ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ definitely can ring true in the context of eating disorders and body image. Comparison and general dissatisfaction can be a reason for worsened body image. (Milton et al., 2021) To get around this, practice gratitude for things that you like about yourself and your life, including things that are not related to weight, body shape, or size.
Find things you enjoy doing and lean into them. From dancing in your living room to good music to finding a new favorite place in town, joy has been found to improve body image outcomes. (Milton et al., 2021) Additionally, finding joy in things is a way to rebel against the eating disorder, which tends to only find dissatisfaction in things.
Reflections
As always, practice lots of self compassion if you are experiencing body image distress. From the individual in full recovery from their eating disorder to someone recently pursuing recovery, body image distress thoughts can pop in without notice. Keep in mind that thoughts alone do not indicate where one is in recovery, but the overall patterns of thoughts and actions define recovery. Experiencing body image distress does not mean all the work you have put in up until now is falling apart! And, as always, keep your team in the loop and rely on them when things get hard. Body image is an ever evolving thing and your team is well equipped to help you through it.
References:
Holland, G., & Tiggeman, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image, 17(June 2016), 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008
Milton, A., Hambleton, A., Roberts, A., Davenport, T., Flego, A., Burns, J., & Hickie, I. (2021). Body Image Distress and Its Associations From an International Sample of Men and Women Across the Adult Life Span: Web-Based Survey Study. JMIR Form Res, 5(11), e25329. https://formative.jmir.org/2021/11/e25329
Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Griffiths, S., & Murray, S. B. (2016, Aug). Disentangling Body Image: The Relative Associations of Overvaluation, Dissatisfaction, and Preoccupation with Psychological Distress and Eating Disorder Behaviors in Male and Female Adolescents. Int J Eat Disord, 2017(50), 118-126. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eat.22592
Paterna, A., Alcaraz-Ibanez, M., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., & Sicilia, A. (2021). Internalization of body shape ideals and body dissatisfaction:A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Eat Disord, 2021(54), 1575-1600. DOI: 10.1002/eat.23568
Walker, C., White, E. K., & Srinivasan, V. J. (2018). A meta-analysis of the relationships between body checking, body image avoidance, body image dissatisfaction, mood, and disordered eating. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(8), 745-770. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22867Digital Object Identifier (DOI)