Body Image Solutions | Psychology of Today

We currently live in a world where previously unimaginable weight loss results are routine. Thanks to GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, the physical changes previously only seen in bariatric surgery can now be achieved by more and more people.¹ And this is just the beginning. In the next few years, even better weight loss drugs will become available, but they will also be combined with medications such as myostatin inhibitors and activin A inhibitors to protect and increase lean tissue (i.e., muscles, more muscles and stronger bones) while losing body fat.²

But despite these incredible metabolic health and weight loss breakthroughs, we still don’t have the medicine to improve Body image. If you need a better body, GLP-1 drugs, or protein first nutritionand a personal trainer can probably take you there. However, if you want to match a better body image, you may need more than just weight loss or improving your physical health. That’s where this post is useful.

What we’re wrong about body image

Two enduring myths prevent many people from feeling happy and confident in their bodies.

1. The first and most annoying myth of body image is that a healthy body image simply requires you to have a certain weight, size, or a certain appearance. The truth is that body images are not merely physical features, but are heavily influenced by psychological, social and cultural factors. To see evidence that the image of the body is more than the physical body, look only at examples of intrabial disinfection and eating disorders that often occur between young women and men with thin levels of thinness or muscularity.³
2. The second common myth about body image is the belief that it cannot change. The truth is that no one is born with an unhealthy body image. We learn that. Unfortunately, some people acquire unhealthy body images early in their lives, making it look like a lasting part of them Identity. However, our body image beliefs are just another example of “core beliefs.” Although powerful, they can be changed, and often need to be changed to help people experience a lasting breakthrough in quality of life.

How body image really works

If the image of the body is not merely a reflection of our bodies, what is it? As shown in the image below, it actually does 4 Contributors to our body image.

1. Psychology (we Self-talkcore beliefs and values).
2. Physical (how we look and feel; our physical health and function).
3. Society (feedback we receive from others who are important about our bodies).
4. Culture (the broader cultural norms and ideals we refer to our bodies).

Recognizing that the struggle for body image can come from not just one source but many sources, itself an epiphany for many who have discovered that their body image remains poor even when they lose weight. For some, their bodies are the main source of the struggle for body image, and for others, psychological, social, or cultural factors play a greater role. In reality, this means that if you are still struggling with your physical image, it is important to consider other potential contributors to your symptoms.

Improving the psychology of body image

It is a short practical exercise to improve body image using a psychological approach. This exercise explains some of the common core beliefs that people may cause a physical image struggle and compares them with alternative core beliefs (the “strong” core beliefs) that can be adopted to develop a healthier body image.

It is powerful to see these core beliefs in black and white. For most people, the core beliefs they have about their body image are Unconscious. But we may not know them, but they have a strong influence on how we think, feel and behave in our relationship with our bodies.

You can also see direct examples of powerful and empowering core beliefs about body image. If a person lived most of the “under the spell” of weak core beliefs about their bodies, these beliefs can appear to them as non-attackable facts without an alternative perspective to consider. Looking directly at these improved alternatives provides a kind of body image, “North Star,” to navigate positive personal changes.

As important as looking at these examples of “weak” and “strong” core beliefs about body imagery, it is the need to personalize and practice them. For example, taking time to rewrite the above “strong” core beliefs into your own words will be dramatically more effective than the usual form. And practicing the core belief that you want to create your new norms is an important part of the process. After all, repetition is the mother of skill. We are learning to play the piano or internalize the core beliefs we need to experience a better life.