Body Image and Mental Health: Navigating Self-Perception in the Digital Age

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Body image is a delicate thing. Unfortunately, issues with it are an all too common experience, especially among women. According to the National Organization for Women, only 37.7% of older women responded positively about their body. Men too, can have body image issues. A 2019 study found that 10% to 30% of men show body dissatisfaction. For many, body issues may grow into something more than just a few negative thoughts here and there. It may develop into an eating disorder, mental illness, or other health issues.
Because of the growing prevalence of body issues among men and women, many have searched for causes. In the past, marketing materials like magazines and commercials were likely culprits. However, with the rise in image-based social media, digital outlets dominate the body image narrative and they are far more prevalent, and arguably more harmful than the glossy magazines of a prior generation. In this guide we’ll discover how social media can affect body image and mental health and how to find a balance in the digital age.

What Is Body Image?

Body image is a nebulous concept that essentially refers to how we see, think, and feel about our bodies. Body image is also made up of several components, including:

• Perceptual: As the name implies, perceptual body image refers to how we perceive ourselves in the mirror or photos. This may not always align with reality, as some individuals overestimate or underestimate their body size and shape.
• Affective: This includes how we feel about our body, positively or negatively.
• Cognitive: This refers to the thoughts we have about our body.
• Behavioral: The actions and behaviors that result from body image perceptions, such as excessive dieting, avoiding mirrors, wearing certain types of clothing, or engaging in compulsive exercise.

External factors, such as cultural ideals, personal experiences, and societal messaging in advertising and social media, may influence the aspects mentioned above.
Body image isn’t stagnant either. As your body naturally changes from childhood to puberty to adulthood to retirement, so does your perception of it. For instance, young children are more likely to have a neutral or positive body image, as most are less aware of societal beauty standards. However, as children approach puberty, they’re more likely to shape a negative body image due to hormonal changes, social comparisons, and increased exposure to media.
While some may grow to develop a more positive or neutral body image into adulthood, others may struggle, especially if they grew up in a culture that glorifies youth and specific body types.

The Connection Between Body Image and Mental Health

You may not have a positive body image when you’re unhappy or have a bad day. However, if you consistently have a bad body image or deal with negative self-talk regarding your body, it may be a sign you have a mental health condition, such as:

• Body dysmorphic disorder: If you have poor body image, and follow through the thoughts with actions like checking the mirror frequently to check for imagined flaws, avoid social situations, and turn to others for reassurance, you may have body dysmorphic disorder.
• Anxiety: Body image dissatisfaction and anxiety disorders can co-occur, especially during adolescence, according to a 2017 study.
• Depression: One of the key symptoms of depression is feelings of low self-worth, hopelessness, and failure, which may manifest in body dissatisfaction.
• Eating disorders: People with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder often have negative body image and an intense fear of weight gain.

These conditions can severely impact your daily life and overall well-being, and they typically require professional intervention.

Cultural and Social Influences on Body Image

As long as humans have built communities and formed cultures, beauty standards and body ideals have existed. Ancient Greece depicted women in “Venus figurines,” which illustrated pear-shaped women. Italian artists during the Renaissance period portrayed curvy women with round, rosy cheeks. This standard upheld beauty ideals for centuries until the 17th and 18th centuries, when European aristocrats shaped the beauty standards with their fashion choices.

The 20th century held a vast array of different beauty standards: the 1920s saw flappers with slim waists, the 1940s and 1950s had pinup actresses with an hourglass figure, the 1970s popularized thin models like Twiggy, the 1980s popularized lean but athletic celebrities, the 1990s saw a rise in “heroin chic.” In the 2000s and more recent years, social media has celebrated more diverse body types but still upholds the impossible standard of a thin woman with curves in “all the right places.”

Throughout every decade of history, media, fashion, and celebrity culture have shaped people’s ideals of the body and, as a result, their perceptions of their own bodies. In many cases, these industries stand to profit from people’s insecurities. People will pay more for products or services – including makeup, clothes, skin care products, or even a specific diet to look more like the ideal.

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The Role of Social Media in Shaping Self-Perception

With over 5 billion people online, everyone has another external factor that can affect body image: social media. Influencers, advertisers, and brands use social media and curated photos to present unattainable beauty ideals and convince users to pay for a specific product. Because the most popular platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, are image-based, users are often bombarded with photos of influencers and celebrities looking flawless.

The technology on these apps has also advanced—editing tools, filters, and AI-powered beauty tools like Deepfake have all become normalized. Still, many users may not realize that most of these appearances aren’t real and naturally feel insecure when comparing themselves with the photos, even if it’s subconscious.

According to a 2023 Frontiers in Psychology study, participants were more likely to develop body dysmorphic symptoms, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, and other negative symptoms if they used social media more than those who didn’t use social media.

Conversely, even reducing social media usage by 50% can improve your perspective on your body. Even if we don’t want to admit that external factors like social media affect our mindset, they can.

Perception Distortions Through Photography

Beyond filters, social media heavily relies on photography, which can also be unreliable and create false expectations. Differing qualities in phone cameras, cameras, angles, and lighting can significantly distort images and alter one’s self-perception. For instance, photos from a camera with a 50 mm lens will make your features look completely different than photos from a camera with a 200 mm lens.

While some people may treat cameras on their phones as a mirror, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Photography can establish false expectations and desires that are simply unattainable or unnatural. For example, many people want a more symmetrical face, but if you use photography software to depict what that may look like, you’ll be surprised at how unnatural symmetry is. Perfection isn’t beautiful. Imperfection is.

Cyberbullying and Its Mental Health Effects

Social media exists for the sole purpose of building community. Unfortunately, this community can be more harmful than positive for some. Over 59% of teens reported experiencing some form of cyberbullying on social media, according to PEW research, including appearance-based cyberbullying.

While parents may simply shrug off the issue, this kind of cyberbullying can have a profound impact on the mental health of teens. One 2024 study evaluated women who faced cyberbullying that focused on their bodies. In the study’s findings, researchers stated that women who experienced this bullying were more likely to have insecurities about their bodies and develop symptoms of eating disorders compared to others.

Diet Culture and Disordered Eating Trends

“Diet culture” is a term used to describe cultural beliefs about achieving the ideal body image, typically about becoming “more fit” or thinner. Diet culture predated social media, but it’s become even louder as influencers use videos and photos to discuss the latest diet fads while pretending to be advocates for nutrition.

In a 2022 study, researchers found that the most popular videos labelled under the hashtag, “nutrition” were predominantly videos that advocated for unhealthy eating habits and perceptions around nutrition. Instead of reflecting the reality of modern dietetics, platforms like TikTok advocated for weight-watching — an outdated measurement that doesn’t accurately reflect a person’s overall health, according to current dietetic standards.

People who consume this type of content are more likely to feel pressured and ashamed and act similarly, which may develop into an eating disorder.

The Popularity of Ozempic

In addition to influencing people’s eating habits, social media has influenced what medication people take to achieve a certain look. For example, social media had a considerable influence on the popularity of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. When this medication was first discovered, doctors and clinicians primarily used it to manage the blood sugar levels of patients with type 2 diabetes. However, many quickly found that the medication had an added benefit: weight loss. From here, celebrities and influencers online have praised the medication to achieve a thinner physical appearance. Due to the increased demand, the drug experienced a shortage, threatening the lives of anyone who relies on the medication for type 2 diabetes treatment.

On one hand, the popularity of GLP-1 medication on social media can empower patients to speak to their medical providers about their weight and physical health concerns. On the other hand, this same popularity has caused physicians to feel pressured to prescribe the medication to patients, even if they don’t necessarily need it.

Nutrition and Body Image: How Diet Affects Self-Perception

Your nutrition can be a delicate balance in bettering your body image. While you don’t want to fall into disordered eating patterns, you should prioritize eating in a way that can better your physical and mental health, so you can be in a better mental space to perceive yourself positively. Thanks to the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network that links digestive health to emotional well-being, you can do this. When your gut microbiome is balanced, it’s better at producing and regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are essential for regulating your mood.

In addition, if you aren’t eating enough of certain nutrients, your mood and energy may decline, leading to negative feelings about your body. For instance, deficiencies in these nutrients can all lead to depressive symptoms tied to body and self-dissatisfaction:

• Protein;
• B vitamins;
• Vitamin D;
• Magnesium;
• Zinc;
• Selenium;
• Iron;
• Calcium;
• Omega-3 fatty acids.

Instead of listening to social media influencers about what to “cut” out of your diet, focus more on what foods you can add into your diet that feature these nutrients like:

• Lean meats;
• Eggs;
• Leafy greens;
• Fatty fish;
• Seeds and nuts;
• Legumes;
• Dairy products.

Most importantly, focus on how you feel while eating instead of mindlessly following a diet you found online. Listening to your hunger and fullness cues can allow you to honor your body’s signals to consume more nutrients, which benefits your physical and mental health. The more nutrients you have, the better you’ll feel and the more positivity you’ll cultivate toward your body.

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Strategies for Cultivating a Positive Body Image

Beyond your nutrition, there are also ways you can change your lifestyle to benefit your mental health and perspective toward your body.

Practicing Self-Care and Self-Compassion

Developing a positive body image isn’t just about changing how you look—it’s about changing how you think and feel about yourself. Self-care and self-compassion can help shift the focus from criticism to acceptance, making it easier to appreciate your body for what it does than how it looks. For example, you can practice reciting phrases to help you see your body more positively. Instead of saying, “I hate how fat my thighs are,” you can say, “My legs are great for walking, dancing, and exploring the world!”

This shift can also help you spot critical thoughts you wouldn’t think twice about, which feeds into feelings of insecurity. Remember, positivity may not be the goal you first strive for. Neutrality is also a great option! Simply recognizing that your appearance doesn’t define your worth can lead to more self-compassion and better body image.

Curating a Healthier Digital Environment

If you are dissatisfied with your body, sometimes the best solution is to rule out social media as a factor. As noted, it can significantly impact your attitude toward your body; if it doesn’t, you can start to rule out other factors. How does one start this journey? First, identify and unfollow any harmful content. These may be influencers, celebrities, or brands promoting unrealistic, extreme body ideals or excessive fitness expectations. Instead, follow more body-positive and inclusive content creators who encourage self-love.

While curating a healthier social media environment is vital, sometimes the best step is to step away entirely — even temporarily. These breaks can allow you to escape the online comparison culture, which can improve self-criticism.

Using Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness can also be a great way to help shift self-criticism to self-acceptance. For instance, by practicing a body scan, you can pay attention to different body parts and sensations to cultivate gratitude for your body’s functions. Likewise, grounding techniques can be a great way to stop negative self-talk before it worsens. If you want to delve more into your thoughts, you can write in a journal to list negative thoughts and challenge them with contradictory evidence.

Still, mindfulness alone won’t be able to fix body image issues, especially if your body image issues are a part of a more prominent diagnosis, such as an eating disorder, anxiety, or depression. In this case, you’ll need to seek professional help from a therapist, counselor, or psychologist. In many instances, these professionals will use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address negative self-talk. This type of therapy helps patients identify and reframe negative thoughts and actions. One 2021 study found that patients who had poor self-esteem often had better body image after CBT than those who received other types of therapy.

Cosmetic Enhancements and Body Image: A Balanced Perspective

Cosmetic enhancements can be a tricky subject in the context of body image. While some may see cosmetic enhancements as another way to chase the perfection they see on social media, they can also be a way for others to feel more confident after an injury or illness, express themselves, or affirm their gender. By exploring these reasons, you can better understand why you want cosmetic enhancements, establish realistic expectations about your body, and build a positive body image.

Understanding Motivations for Cosmetic Procedures

Cosmetic procedures are a deeply personal choice, and every patient that opts for them may have varying motivations. While some patients may choose them to affirm themselves, others may use them due to pressure from societal beauty standards established by social media.

Additionally, people may choose cosmetic procedures for their physical well-being. For example, if you’ve lost a lot of weight and have a lot of loose skin, you may experience discomfort during daily activities, such as exercising. A tummy tuck can help remove this excess skin, improving your daily life. Likewise, if you want to improve your physical health through weight loss, you can use liposuction to aid your efforts. Many women also use cosmetic procedures such as a mommy makeover or implants to recover from changes from pregnancy or breast cancer. These pursuits are valid and can improve your physical and mental health.

Making Informed Decisions About Body Modifications

If you opt for a procedure with the sole intent to fix your body image issues, you may find that you’re still dissatisfied afterward, and desire even more cosmetic procedures. This is because the standards you may see on social media aren’t real. Even cosmetic procedures have limits. Instead of changing your body, you should change your attitude toward it to find neutrality or positivity.

Ultimately, if you ask yourself, “am I doing this for myself or because I have to?” or “what are my expectations?” and find yourself responding toward feeling like you have to have the procedure to meet a specific standard, you may have to dig deeper into your body image issues and consider how you can better your mental health.

Reaching body positivity isn’t a one-and-done goal. You’ll constantly have to practice it, especially with external factors like social media that can pull you away from your objective. The key is to have grace with yourself, breathe deep, and embrace your body.

Resources for Body Positivity and Mental Wellness

If you’re looking to better your body image and mental health, use these resources.

Mental Health Support Networks and Counseling Resources

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): This resource offers support, screening tools, and resources for those struggling with eating disorders and body image concerns.
• The Body Positive: This resource is a nonprofit organization that educates people through workshops on self-acceptance and body diversity.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): This resource educates on mental health, and provides support groups and helplines for individuals struggling with self-esteem and mental health issues.
• Psychology Today’s Therapist Directory: This is a tool for finding licensed mental health professionals specializing in body image and self-esteem issues.

Online Communities Promoting Body Positivity

• Be Real USA: This campaign promotes positive body image through education and advocacy.
• Health at Every Size (HAES): This movement emphasizes well-being and self-care without focusing on weight.
• The Trevor Project: The goal of the Trevor Project is to better the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, which may include body image concerns.

Academic and Scientific Resources on Body Image and Mental Health

• American Psychological Association (APA): Find research articles on self-perception and body dissatisfaction.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): You can find studies on nutrition, mental health, psychology, and how social media affects self-esteem.
• Harvard School of Public Health: Find research on the role of diet in mood stability and body image.

Resources For Making Informed Decisions About Body Modifications

• Sarah Mess MD: A reliable and trustworthy surgeon who provides cosmetic procedures for patients to improve their physical well-being, mental health, and daily lives.
• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS): This resource provides information on different cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, risks, and choosing a board-certified surgeon.