Psychology of intimacy

Body image

Alsobody confidencebody insecuritynegative body imagebody dissatisfaction

Definition

Body image is how a person thinks and feels about their own body, including its appearance and how it functions.

At a glance

  • Body image is how a person thinks and feels about their body's appearance and function.
  • It is shaped by culture, media, family comments and personal experience.
  • Research links negative body image with self-consciousness and lower satisfaction during intimacy.
  • Persistent distress about appearance can be a sign of a condition such as body dysmorphic disorder.

In detail

Body image is shaped by culture, media, family comments and personal experience. A negative body image can make people self-conscious during intimacy, which research links to lower sexual satisfaction and more distraction during sex.

Movements such as body positivity and body neutrality aim to reduce the focus on appearance, either by celebrating diverse bodies or by treating the body as something that does not need constant evaluation. Persistent distress about appearance can be a sign of a condition such as body dysmorphic disorder, for which professional support is available.

In a sentence

  • My body image has improved a lot since I unfollowed accounts that made me compare myself.
  • We talked about body image before getting intimate, and it helped me relax.

Where the word comes from

The term was popularised by psychiatrist Paul Schilder in his 1935 book The Image and Appearance of the Human Body.

Common questions

What is the difference between body positivity and body neutrality?

Body positivity celebrates diverse bodies and encourages people to feel good about how they look. Body neutrality aims to reduce the focus on appearance altogether, treating the body as something that does not need constant evaluation.

When is body image a concern to get help with?

If worries about appearance are persistent, distressing or affect daily life, a GP or mental health professional can help, including assessing for conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder or eating disorders.

Related terms