It is usual for people to check their appearance in mirrors and do their best to ensure they feel comfortable in their skin. However, the problem with frequent checking is the risk of becoming highly sensitive to insignificant changes and overly obsessed with appearance.
So, while body checking is not harmful on occasion, it needs to be exercised with caution to prevent additional harmful behaviors, like eating disorders, from arising.
What is body checking?
Body checking is a behavior that involves frequently checking, scrutinizing or measuring your own body or specific body parts. It is often associated with concerns about body image and can be a symptom of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Body checking can manifest in various ways—you may repeatedly weigh yourself, measure the circumference of various body parts with a tape measure, look in mirrors excessively, pinch areas of the skin to check for fat, or compare your body to others.
The motivation behind body checking is typically anxiety or dissatisfaction with your body’s appearance. Body checking may occur to reassure yourself about your body size or shape. Still, it often has the opposite effect, leading to increased anxiety and preoccupation with perceived body flaws. This cycle can contribute to a negative body image and exacerbate mental health conditions.
Body checking can have significant psychological and emotional consequences. It can reinforce negative thought patterns, leading to a distorted perception of one’s body. Over time, this can hurt self-esteem and contribute to cycles of obsession and compulsion. In severe cases, body checking can interfere with daily life, affecting social interactions, work, and overall well-being.
Can body checking lead to an eating disorder?
While body checking itself is not an eating disorder, the bodily focus and preoccupation that it promotes can undoubtedly be a contributing factor in one’s development.
Body-checking behaviors are rooted in misperceptions of oneself and anxiety related to body image. Individuals who engage in body checking often experience heightened levels of body dissatisfaction, which can lead to a distorted perception of their body size and shape — i.e., they may believe themselves to be overweight when, indeed, their weight is in a healthy range.
As individuals repeatedly check their bodies, they may become hyper-aware of perceived imperfections, leading to increased anxiety and obsessive thoughts/behaviors. This cycle of body checking and anxiety can lay the groundwork for disordered eating patterns as individuals strive to conform to unrealistic body ideals.
This negative view of oneself can contribute to the development of an eating disorder as individuals attempt to change any perceived flaws through restrictive eating, purging or excessive exercise. Moreover, the constant focus on body image can distract individuals from other aspects of their identity, leading to an identity heavily reliant on physical appearance.
While body checking is a significant risk factor in its own right, its impact is often magnified when combined with other mental health struggles. For instance, individuals with a history of trauma, perfectionism or low self-esteem may be more susceptible to the risks of body checking.
Additionally, societal pressures, including media portrayal of idealized body types, can worsen body-checking behaviors. Social media platforms, in particular, stimulate comparison and validation seeking, which can intensify body checking and accelerate the development of eating disorders.
Constant exposure to edited images of “perfect” bodies can reinforce the belief that one’s worth is tied to physical appearance, driving home any further desire to engage in body checking as a means of achieving or maintaining these unachievable standards of beauty.
If an eating disorder does develop, body checking does little to help resolve any issues. Individuals with eating disorders often use body checking as a way to gauge the effectiveness of disordered behaviors like restricting or purging. The checking can provide temporary reassurance or relief from anxiety, but it ultimately reinforces the cycle of disordered eating.
What treatments are used to help slow the progression of disordered eating?
Given its significant role in both the development and maintenance of eating disorders, addressing body checking is a crucial aspect of treatment, as well as prevention if caught early enough.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used to help individuals challenge and modify the cognitive distortions that drive body-checking behaviors. Through CBT, individuals learn to identify and reframe negative thoughts about their bodies, reducing the compulsion to engage in body checking and disordered eating. Exposure therapy, where individuals gradually reduce the frequency of body checking, can also effectively diminish its influence.
Additionally, fostering a more positive and holistic self-image is essential. Encouraging individuals to focus on non-appearance-related aspects of their identity, such as skills, values and relationships, can help shift the emphasis away from body image. Support groups and therapy can provide a safe space for individuals to share experiences and develop healthier coping mechanisms, reducing reliance on body checking as a source of validation.
Looking for appropriate therapies?
Whether you find yourself engaging in unhealthy body checking and disordered eating behaviors, or you have a loved one displaying signs, help is available and recovery is possible.
To start your journey today, contact Seeds of Hope by calling 610-644-6464 or filling out an online contact form to get in touch with our counselors.
