What Is Body Image? Understanding Positive and Negative Body Image

Almost everyone has experienced days when they feel confident in their appearance and days when they don’t. But body image is much more than simply liking or disliking how you look.

Body image refers to the thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviours we have in relation to our body. It is how we experience our body, not necessarily how it actually looks.

Importantly, body image exists on a spectrum. It can change over time and be influenced by our experiences, relationships, culture, sport, health, and mental wellbeing.

At OM Psychology, we support adolescents and adults experiencing body image concerns, eating disorders, disordered eating, and performance-related pressures. Understanding body image is often the first step toward developing a healthier relationship with yourself.

Body Image Is More Than Appearance

Many people assume body image is simply about physical appearance.

In reality, body image includes four interconnected components:

  1. Perceptual Body Image

This is how you see your body.

Sometimes our perception accurately reflects reality. Other times, particularly when someone is experiencing an eating disorder or significant body dissatisfaction, their perception may become distorted.

For example, someone may genuinely believe they look “too big” despite being medically underweight, or feel that one body part is much larger than it objectively is.

  1. Cognitive Body Image

This refers to the thoughts and beliefs you have about your body.

Examples include:

  • “I need to lose weight before I can feel confident.”
  • “People are judging how I look.”
  • “I’ll only be happy when my body changes.”
  • “My appearance determines my worth.”

These thoughts often become automatic and can strongly influence emotions and behaviour.

  1. Emotional Body Image

This refers to how you feel about your body.

People may experience:

  • Pride
  • Gratitude
  • Confidence
  • Shame
  • Anxiety
  • Embarrassment
  • Frustration
  • Guilt

It’s normal for these feelings to fluctuate. Problems arise when negative emotions become persistent and begin affecting daily life.

  1. Behavioural Body Image

Our body image also influences what we do.

Common behaviours include:

  • Avoiding mirrors
  • Constant mirror checking
  • Body checking
  • Comparing yourself to others
  • Wearing baggy clothing to hide your body
  • Excessive weighing
  • Restricting food
  • Over-exercising
  • Avoiding swimming or social events

Often these behaviours temporarily reduce anxiety but unintentionally reinforce negative body image over time.

What Is Positive Body Image?

Positive body image does not mean loving your body every single day.

Instead, it means developing a respectful, flexible, and compassionate relationship with your body, even on difficult days.

People with positive body image are more likely to:

  • Appreciate what their body can do
  • Treat their body with care
  • Eat to nourish themselves
  • Exercise for health, enjoyment, or performance rather than punishment
  • Accept natural body changes throughout life
  • Place less importance on appearance when evaluating their self-worth

Positive body image is about respect, not perfection.

What Is Negative Body Image?

Negative body image occurs when someone experiences persistent dissatisfaction, distress, or preoccupation with their body.

Signs may include:

  • Constantly thinking about appearance
  • Frequently comparing yourself to others
  • Feeling anxious about photos
  • Avoiding mirrors, or checking them repeatedly
  • Feeling guilty after eating
  • Believing your worth depends on your appearance
  • Avoiding social situations because of your body
  • Exercising to “earn” food
  • Feeling that happiness depends on changing your body

These experiences can significantly impact mental health and quality of life.

What Causes Body Image Concerns?

Body image develops from many different experiences rather than one single cause.

Common influences include:

Family

Children often learn attitudes about bodies by observing family members.

Comments about weight, dieting, or appearance, whether directed at themselves or others, can shape body image from an early age.

Social Media

Social media provides constant exposure to carefully selected, filtered, and edited images.

Even when we know these images aren’t realistic, repeated exposure can influence how we evaluate ourselves.

Sport

Athletes may experience additional pressures related to body composition, performance, uniforms, weight categories, or appearance-based judging.

Sports that emphasise leanness or aesthetics may increase vulnerability to body dissatisfaction.

Friends and Peers

Appearance comparisons and comments from peers can have a powerful influence, particularly during adolescence.

Culture

Society often promotes unrealistic beauty ideals that change over time.

These ideals can contribute to the belief that appearance determines success, popularity, or happiness.

Body Image and Eating Disorders

Negative body image is one of the strongest psychological risk factors for developing an eating disorder.

However, not everyone with body dissatisfaction develops an eating disorder.

Likewise, not every person experiencing an eating disorder initially presents with significant body dissatisfaction.

For many people, body image concerns contribute to:

  • Restrictive eating
  • Dieting
  • Compulsive exercise
  • Binge eating
  • Purging behaviours
  • Excessive body checking

Addressing body image is therefore an important part of recovery for many individuals experiencing eating disorders or disordered eating.

Body Image in Athletes

Athletes often face unique body image challenges.

Performance environments may unintentionally reinforce beliefs that:

  • Lighter is faster
  • Leaner is stronger
  • Appearance equals performance

While nutrition and body composition can influence performance in some sports, focusing too heavily on appearance may contribute to:

  • Disordered eating
  • Low energy availability
  • Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
  • Anxiety
  • Perfectionism
  • Burnout

Helping athletes appreciate their body’s function, not simply its appearance, can improve both wellbeing and sustainable performance.

Can Body Image Improve?

Yes.

Research consistently shows that body image can improve through evidence-based psychological interventions.

Improving body image does not require changing your body.

Instead, treatment often focuses on changing the relationship you have with your body.

This may include:

  • Challenging unhelpful beliefs
  • Reducing body checking behaviours
  • Developing self-compassion
  • Improving flexibility around food and exercise
  • Reducing appearance comparisons
  • Identifying personal values beyond appearance
  • Building appreciation for body function

Recovery is not about loving your body every day, it’s about reducing the power appearance has over your wellbeing.

How a Psychologist Can Help

A psychologist can help you understand the beliefs, experiences, and behaviours contributing to body dissatisfaction.

Therapy may focus on:

  • Negative body image
  • Eating disorders
  • Disordered eating
  • Body checking
  • Anxiety around appearance
  • Perfectionism
  • Self-esteem
  • Athlete mental health
  • Building confidence beyond appearance

Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), CBT-E, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy can all support improvements in body image.

When Should You Seek Help?

It may be helpful to speak with a psychologist if body image concerns are:

  • Affecting your confidence
  • Causing anxiety or low mood
  • Influencing your eating habits
  • Leading to compulsive exercise
  • Affecting relationships
  • Preventing you from participating in activities you enjoy
  • Occupying a significant amount of your day

Early support can reduce the risk of more serious mental health concerns developing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal to dislike your body sometimes?

Yes. Most people experience occasional dissatisfaction with their appearance. Body image becomes concerning when these thoughts are frequent, distressing, or begin affecting daily life.

Can body image impact mental health?

Absolutely. Negative body image is associated with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, disordered eating, and eating disorders.

Can men experience body image concerns?

Yes. Body image concerns affect people of all genders. Men may experience pressure to appear leaner, more muscular, or more athletic, which can contribute to disordered eating and compulsive exercise.

Can athletes have poor body image?

Yes. Athletes may be at increased risk due to performance expectations, appearance-focused environments, and pressure around body composition.

Does improving body image mean loving my body?

No. Healthy body image is about developing respect, flexibility, and appreciation for your body rather than feeling positive about it all the time.

How OM Psychology Can Help

At OM Psychology, we provide evidence-based psychological support for adolescents and adults experiencing:

  • Body image concerns
  • Eating disorders
  • Disordered eating
  • Athlete mental health
  • RED-S and low energy availability
  • Anxiety and perfectionism
  • Self-esteem difficulties

Located in Fremantle, we support individuals who are looking to build a healthier relationship with their body, food, and themselves.