Body Dysmorphia is a disorder that affects roughly 2.4% of adults in the United States, and even more for adolescents. The common perception of Body Dysmorphia is that it is only related to shape and weight.

Another misunderstood condition is disordered eating or eating disorders. Eating disorders affect up to 10-20% of the population. There is a common misunderstanding that eating disorders are a personal choice, but they are not.   No one chooses to struggle with food and weight. 

While the two are separate conditions, there is often strong correlation between them. Here’s a deeper look at how Body Dysmorphia can impact a relationship with disordered eating.  

What Is Body Dysmorphia?

Body Dysmorphia is a mental health disorder that causes a person  to view flaws in themself. Perceived physical flaws and imperfections and often perceive them as bigger problems than they are. In reality, some of these flaws may be very minor they are actually non-existent in the eyes of others.

Individuals Body Dysmorphia can get obsessed with the appearance of their face, hair, skin, musculature, body shape, and even genitalia. Many of these personal experiences  are influenced further by the emphasis on physical perfection as portrayed in Social media

The Relationship Between Body Dysmorphia and Disordered Eating

Preoccupation with Appearance

The more common sign of Body Dysmorphia is a preoccupation with physical appearance. In attempts to improve appearance or make faster, more significant changes, a person may engage in disordered eating.  As this perseveration on perceived flaws continues over time, the eating disorder can transform and get worse.

Fear of Judgment

Aside from their own preoccupation with appearance, there is also this fear of what others think or how other people perceive their appearance. If fear and anxiety are flared up, there can be more likelihood to engage in disordered eating. Restrictive dieting habits are a common strategy to avoid any negative feedback or to try to fit into certain social norms. 

Lower Self-Esteem

When someone is living with Body Dysmorphia, they highlight flaws and negative views. They struggle with their own worth and self-esteem. When feeling low, they may take drastic actions to try to compensate, one of which includes diet modifications and unhealthy eating behaviors. The belief is that this will help boost their image and opinions of themselves. 

Distorted Body Image

Body dysmorphia leads to unrealistic views about one’s body, both in appearance, and overall body image. Negative or distorted body image can promote an unhealthy comparison of oneself to others around them, thus triggering binge eating or restrictive eating to “rectify” the situation, with the illusion that changing ones body image will change ones life.

Coping Strategy

Disordered eating can as a coping mechanism for anxiety, depression, and any negative feelings associated with Body Dysmorphia. The idea of being in control of how food is handled, more than any one person is with themself, can become calming amidst the chaos. It seems like a productive way to handle negative feelings, but it will actually fuel the development of other issues or make those feelings worse. 

Social Media 

The current state of the world is heavily connected via digital platforms. It creates this “always on” state of mind and it makes comparing your life to friends, family, celebrities, and complete strangers exponentially easier. It also promotes unrealistic and often fabricated realities through people’s selected shared content. 

Seeing this idea of what is perfect in your face all the time can amplify body image and self-esteem issues. Social media can serve as a constant trigger for negative thought patterns and unhealthy eating habits to control the situation. 

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Body Dysmorphia is not always linked to eating disorders and vice versa, but they are commonly together. Either way, it is a painful way to live. One or both deserve compassion and expert clinical care. When  left untreated, can spiral. 

At Resilience DBT & Eating Recovery,  we want you to feel secure in yourself and your appearance, and not compare yourself to anyone else.  If you or a loved one believes you are struggling with Body Dysmorphia or an eating disorder, you’re not alone.

Contact us at ResilienceTherapy.com to learn more about our evidenced-based treatments like eating disorder therapy for healing and recovery. Remember… Eating Disorders are not a choice… but recovery is.

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