Body image disturbance is a common occurrence. Society’s beauty standards are pushed from all angles leaving no one unaffected. For many, body image disturbance can induce severe anxiety about one’s body to the point where they feel the need to constantly check their body or try to change it.

Body dysmorphia can also develop. This is a mental disorder in which one cannot accurately perceive how their body looks and has intense focus and shame over their observed flaws.

Body Image Disturbance is characterized by:

• Persistent negative thoughts and feelings about your body.
• Hypervigilant monitoring of weight, shape, and size.
• Engaging in body checking, mirror gazing, or body comparisons.
• Obsessive weighing.
• Thoughts and anxieties about one’s body take up an excessive amount of time and energy.
• Low self-esteem and negative self-talk.

How your Rooted Path Registered Dietitian can help:

• Provide individualized and compassionate care to meet you where you are at in readiness for treatment and recovery.
• Collaborate with your treatment team or support you in building a treatment team.
• Provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore your relationship with food and your body.
• Gently guide you through identifying the root of the disordered eating behavior(s).
• Provide nutrition education and assist with nutrition replenishment as needed.
• Help you navigate the complexities of diet culture and break free from rigid thinking.
• Help reduce food anxiety via supported food exposures.
• Reconnect you with your body by providing guided meditations and mindful eating exercises.
• Empower you to find a balanced and sustainable approach to food and nutrition that supports your overall well-being.
• Provide guidance or recommendation to a higher level of care if warranted.