While this type of behavior is common, it can also take more extreme or compulsive forms. Most people engage in some degree of body checking at least occasionally, but when it becomes a constant, anxious behavior that a person feels they must perform, it may be a sign of a deeper problem. This article discusses some common signs of body checking and the impact that this behavior can have on well-being. It also explores some strategies that can help you reduce body checking or minimize its negative effects.
Signs of Body Checking
There are various forms of body checking you may be engaging in without even realizing it. Some examples include:
Pinching your abdomenTrying to feel your bonesWeighing yourself frequentlyZeroing in on specific body parts in the mirror
Other examples may include asking friends or family members’ opinions about your body or comparing your shape to others. You may sometimes body check hundreds of times in one day. It can impact how you feel about your shape and weight. Body checking can feel like a compulsion. You may feel that you need to check your body to reassure yourself that you have not gained weight since the last time you ate. It may also feel like an automatic or uncontrollable behavior. While body checking can be normal at times, it becomes a problem if it:
Causes distress or negative moodsCauses you to withdraw from othersCreates problems in your ability to function normally at home, work, school, or in relationshipsLeads to disordered or restrictive eating behaviorsWorsens symptoms of an eating disorder
If you are concerned about your body checking, talk to a healthcare provider or therapist. They can offer treatment recommendations that can help.
Impact of Compulsive Body Checking
Researchers suggest that compulsive body-checking behaviors contribute to over-evaluation of shape and weight. This over-evaluation is one of the primary mechanisms that causes or worsens anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders. Body checking may be an attempt to feel better about parts of your body, particularly the parts you wish you could change or minimize. However, instead of providing relief, it can contribute to:
Distorted perceptions about size, shape, weight, or appearanceGreater feelings of loss of control over shape and weightIncreased dissatisfactionIncreased anxiety and depressionProblems with mood
Research has found that body checking has a negative impact on body satisfaction. One 2018 review found that people who engaged in compulsive body checking were less satisfied with their bodies. They were also more likely to experience negative moods after body checking. While body checking affects people of all genders, some evidence suggests that it may lead to greater body dissatisfaction in women. One 2019 study found that women were more likely to experience body dissatisfaction following body checking than men. It can also increase the harmful effects of an eating disorder. Evidence suggests that after body checking, people are more likely to also engage in restrictive eating on the day the check occurs as well as the day that follows. Repeated body checking could lead to a cycle of disordered or restrictive eating behaviors.
Tips to Reduce Body Checking
Addressing body checking can decrease shape and weight concerns and facilitate recovery from eating disorders. The opposite is also true: Not address body checking behaviors can negatively impact recovery. In order to interrupt body checking, you must first become aware of the behavior. The following strategies may be helpful.
Keep Track of Your Body Checking
The first step involves spending one day of the week, a full 24 hours, paying close attention to how often you engage in body checking. You may even want to keep written notes. Many people with eating disorders will check so often that they cannot log each time. Do not stress if this is the case. Instead, just be mindful of the frequency.
Challenge Your Body Checking
Once you start to have a better idea of how often and when you’re body checking, you can begin to challenge yourself each of these times. This means actively asking yourself questions like:
What am I looking for?Is this helpful?Has anything changed since the last time that I body checked?
You may find it difficult to answer these questions because there usually isn’t a logical response. But as you continue to challenge your thought patterns and behavior on a regular basis, the frequency with which you are body checking will likely start to decrease.
Pitfalls of Body Avoidance
Be aware that the goal is not to completely avoid facing your body either. Body avoidance may be equally problematic, as totally avoiding looking at your shape and weight can also negatively influence self-evaluation. Striking a balance between these two extremes (body checking and body avoidance) is ideal. For example, checking your appearance after getting dressed is normal since you want to make sure the clothes you put on fit appropriately. Weighing yourself once per week, but not more frequently than that, can provide a middle ground between overweighing and avoiding weighing yourself altogether. Behaviors that are not compulsive or very frequent are not usually problematic.
A Word From Verywell
While body checking has been shown to be detrimental to eating disorder recovery, attempting to work through it on your own may not always be the best approach. If these behaviors, even if they are not happening frequently, are causing you distress, consider speaking to a mental health professional. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
