How Body Image Struggles Keep Eating Disorders Going
Body image struggles are not just about “not liking how you look.” For many people with eating disorders, body image distress becomes one of the main things that keeps the eating disorder cycle going.
You might start the day feeling okay, then see your reflection, try on clothes, notice bloating, compare yourself online, or receive a body-related comment, and suddenly the eating disorder voice gets louder.
It may say:
“You need to compensate.”
“You need to skip the next meal.”
“You’ll feel better if you change your body.”
“You can start recovery after you feel more comfortable.”
The problem is that eating disorder behaviours may reduce distress briefly, but they usually strengthen body fear over time.
Body image is more than appearance
Body image includes the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviours you have in relation to your body. The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) describes body image as the way we think and feel about our body, which can shift between positive and negative experiences. Negative body image can involve shame, anxiety, self-consciousness and distress.
In eating disorder recovery, body image distress often shows up as:
body checking
mirror checking
weighing
comparing
pinching or measuring body parts
avoiding photos
avoiding certain clothes
avoiding social events
seeking reassurance
trying to “fix” body distress through food rules, exercise or restriction
These behaviours are understandable, but they can also keep the brain hyper-focused on perceived flaws, changes or threats.
The body checking cycle
Body checking can feel like a way to get certainty. You might check your stomach, face, arms, legs, weight, clothes size, photos, or how your body feels throughout the day. At first, checking can seem reassuring. But it often backfires.
The more you check, the more your brain learns that your body is a problem that needs constant monitoring. This increases anxiety, makes small body changes feel significant, and can trigger eating disorder behaviours such as restriction, bingeing, purging, over-exercise or avoidance.
This is one reason body image work is not superficial. It is often central to eating disorder recovery.
Body avoidance can also keep fear alive
Some people check constantly. Others avoid their body altogether.
Body avoidance might include avoiding mirrors, wearing only certain clothes, refusing photos, avoiding intimacy, cancelling plans, or disconnecting from body sensations. Avoidance can reduce distress in the short term, but it can also teach the brain that the body is unsafe to see, feel or inhabit.
Over time, life can become smaller. Decisions start being based on body distress rather than values, connection, pleasure, rest or health.
Why body image distress can trigger eating disorder behaviours
Eating disorders often promise relief: “If you change your body, you will feel better.”
But body image distress is rarely solved by changing the body. In fact, when the eating disorder is in charge, the goalpost usually keeps moving. This is why someone may reach a body, weight, size or level of “control” they once thought would make them feel okay, only to find that the anxiety, shame and fear are still there.
Body image distress can keep eating disorders going by reinforcing:
fear of weight gain
fear of body changes
comparison and perfectionism
shame
compulsive exercise
avoidance of recovery steps
“I’ll recover later” thinking
The Butterfly Foundation provides support and information for people experiencing eating disorders and body image concerns in Australia. Visit Butterfly Foundation.
Recovery is not about forcing body positivity
A common misconception is that body image recovery means loving every part of your body all the time.
For many people, especially those recovering from eating disorders, trauma, chronic shame, neurodivergent sensory distress or weight stigma, that can feel unrealistic, and honestly, a bit annoying.
Body image recovery may start with something gentler:
“I do not have to like my body to care for it.”
“My body does not need to feel perfect for me to eat.”
“I can wear comfortable clothes without punishing myself.”
“I can reduce checking even if I still feel anxious.”
“My body is allowed to change.”
“My worth does not need to be negotiated with a mirror.”
This is often called body neutrality. It shifts the focus from appearance to respect, function, safety and values.
How therapy can help
Therapy can help you understand how body image distress interacts with eating disorder behaviours, anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, OCD traits, sensory sensitivities and shame.
Depending on your needs, therapy may include:
identifying body checking and avoidance patterns
reducing reassurance seeking
challenging eating disorder rules
practising body neutrality
building tolerance of body discomfort
working with shame and self-criticism
supporting regular eating
developing values-based coping strategies
adapting treatment for neurodivergence, sensory needs or trauma
Evidence-informed eating disorder treatment often addresses the thoughts, behaviours and maintaining cycles that keep the eating disorder active. NEDC outlines several evidence-based treatment approaches for eating disorders, including psychological therapies. Read more from NEDC.
You do not have to wait until you feel confident
One of the hardest parts of recovery is that you may need to begin before your body image feels better.
You do not have to feel confident to eat.
You do not have to feel body positive to attend therapy.
You do not have to feel ready to deserve support.
At recoverED Clinic, we provide compassionate, evidence-based eating disorder therapy for adults experiencing body image distress, eating disorders and disordered eating, anxiety, trauma and neurodivergence. Our approach is trauma-informed, neuroaffirming and grounded in the belief that recovery is about getting your life back, not perfecting your body.
You can read more about our approaches:
Resources on Eating Disorders and Body Image:
If body image distress is affecting your eating, mood, relationships or daily life, recoverED Clinic offers eating disorder and body image therapy in Melbourne and via telehealth across Australia. You are welcome to contact us to discuss whether our approach may be the right fit.
Disclaimer
This blog is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for personalised care from a qualified health professional.
Reading this blog does not create a psychologist–client relationship with recoverED Clinic or its clinicians. If you have concerns about your mental health, eating behaviours, physical health, or safety, please seek professional support. In an emergency, call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department. You Can access a list of Australian crisis Helpines here.
This blog was created with the support of AI tools for clarity and structure, and has been reviewed and edited by our team.
