Body Image And Diets

Overview

Body image is how you see and feel about your body. A 'diet' is a plan to change your eating in order to change your weight or shape. When body image troubles lead to constant or extreme dieting, it can take a real toll on your physical and mental health. This article explains what body image difficulties look like and where you can get help.

Yes. Many people – about 1 in 4 or more – feel unhappy about their bodies at some point. Dieting is also extremely common, especially after the age of 15. But not everyone who diets develops an unhealthy relationship with food.

Body image concerns can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. They are most common in teenagers and young adults, and they can affect girls and women more often – but boys, men, and older people can struggle too.

Symptoms

Common symptoms

• Spending a lot of time looking at your body in the mirror, or checking it in other ways.
• Feeling anxious, ashamed, or 'not good enough' because of your shape or weight.
• Avoiding social events, swimming, or photos because you don't like how you look.
• Starting a new diet over and over, or switching between restrictive diets.
• Feeling out of control with food – for example, eating very little, or bingeing then trying to undo it.
• Using laxatives, making yourself sick, or doing extreme exercise to burn off food.

Symptoms in children

• Refusing to eat certain foods, such as entire food groups like dairy or carbs.
• Complaining about being 'fat' even when their weight is normal.
• Changes in mood – being irritable, quiet, or upset especially around meals.
• Taking food away from the table, or stashing snacks in a room.
• Pulling away from family and friends, or skipping social activities.

Symptoms in older adults

• Worrying about normal ageing changes, like wrinkles, weight around the middle, or muscle loss.
• Cutting whole food groups to try to hold on to a younger-looking shape.
• Feeling lonely or low because they are unhappy with how they look.
• Giving up hobbies or trips because of feeling ashamed about their body.

Causes

Main causes

• Pressure from media and social media to look a certain way.
• Comments or teasing about weight, size or shape – from family, friends, or strangers.
• Cultural ideals that value thinness or muscularity.
• Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or obsessive–compulsive tendencies.
• Low self-esteem or a habit of comparing yourself to others.

Risk factors

• Being a teenager or young adult.
• Having a job, hobby, or sport that stresses weight – for example, dance, modelling, or wrestling.
• Having a family history of dieting or eating disorders.
• Already having struggled with depression or anxiety.
• Having been bullied or criticized about your body in the past.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor urgently if:

• If you have any of the urgent symptoms listed above, see your GP on the same day – or call your local urgent care number. If you feel you might harm yourself, call your local emergency number immediately and ask for help.

Book a routine appointment if:

• If body image worries are making you miserable, cancelling plans, or pushing you into extreme diets, book a regular appointment to talk it over.

Diagnosis

There is no simple test. A GP will usually start by listening to your story. They may ask about your eating patterns, your feelings about your body, your weight history, and whether you have any physical symptoms. They may also do a physical examination and some basic checks.

Tests that may be done

• Height and weight measurement
• Blood pressure and heart rate check
• Blood tests to look for vitamin deficiencies or dehydration
• An ECG (heart tracing) if your heart rate is very slow or fast

What to expect at your appointment

Your doctor should be kind and non-judgemental. They may ask you to fill in a short questionnaire about your relationship with food, then discuss next steps. They might refer you to a dietitian, a talking therapist, or a specialist eating-disorders team if needed.

Treatment

Help is not just about gaining or losing weight. The goal is to rebuild a healthy relationship with food and your body. Treatment usually involves talking therapy, nutritional guidance, and sometimes medical care for related conditions like depression. You and your doctor will agree a plan that feels calm and supportive.

Self-care at home

• Stop weighing yourself often – maybe try no scales at all for a while.
• Unfollow social media accounts that make you feel bad about your body; choose accounts that show diverse shapes and sizes.
• Eat regular meals and snacks based on hunger and taste, not punishment.
• Keep a diary of your moods and food triggers to share with your doctor.
• Talk to someone you trust – naming the worry usually takes its power away.

Medical treatments

Trained professionals may use talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy – often called CBT – which helps you change negative thoughts and habits. For younger people, family-based therapy can be very helpful. Sometimes doctors suggest medication for depression or anxiety that is feeding the body-image worries. This is always combined with talking support, and the right medicine is chosen with your specific situation and any risks in mind. You will be reviewed regularly.

When is surgery considered?

Surgery is not a standard treatment for body-image concerns or unhealthy dieting. If you are thinking about cosmetic procedures because you hate your body, talk these ideas through with your GP first. Changing your outside rarely changes the inside feeling.

Living with this condition

Take it one day at a time. Build small routines: eat at regular times, sleep enough, and do things that give you a sense of worth outside appearance – whether that is music, volunteering, learning, or spending time with people who don't talk about weight.

Lifestyle tips

• Plan meals ahead so you’re not caught out and hungry.
• Find activities that feel joyful, like walking in nature or dancing in your kitchen.
• Practice noticing a negative body thought and naming it – 'That’s the old story, not the truth'.
• Limit 'weigh-day' to nowhere – that isn’t a measure of your worth.
• Learn a simple breathing technique to use when you feel panicked about food.

Diet and exercise

You don’t need to follow a 'diet'. Instead, aim for a balanced plate: plenty of fruits and vegetables, some wholegrains, a little protein, and some dairy or substitutes. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever you can, and snack if you’re hungry. Exercise can be a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate. Gentle movement like stretching, walking or yoga is enough.

Mental health and emotional wellbeing

Constant dissatisfaction with your body can lead to low mood, anxiety, isolation and obsessive thinking. You deserve care for those feelings just as you would for a physical illness. Talking about it with a professional is a strong, sensible move.

Prevention

You cannot fully prevent body image issues – they are influenced by culture and by life events. But you can reduce the risk by building strong self-esteem early, teaching critical thinking about advertising and social media, and keeping conversations about health focused on energy and strength, not just appearance.

Complications

If left untreated

• Burden on the heart and bones from poor nutrition.
• Brittle hair, skin and nails.
• Hormone changes and loss of periods in women.
• Depression, anxiety, low self-worth or self-harm.
• Long-term eating disorders that can be life-threatening.

Long-term outlook

It is very possible to recover from poor body image and diets that took over. With the right help – whether that’s talking therapy, dietetic advice, or family support – most people learn to eat flexibly and feel at home in their bodies. Don’t put off asking for help; every step forwards counts.

Find support

International organisations

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) ↗
• Beat ↗

External links open third-party websites. Ruqelo Health is not responsible for external content. Listing an organisation does not imply endorsement.