Beach scene with clouds in th ebackground, backlit by the setting sun. 2 people are seen walking on the beach

By: Annie Penrose, M.Ed., RD, LDN and Billie Karel, MPH, RD, LDN, CDCES 

Summertime is here! This season can be so much fun, and brings many opportunities to make wonderful memories filled with watermelon, beach days, and 9pm sunsets. But for many, the heat, sweat, and lighter clothing this time of year can also bring on seasonal distress about body weight, shape, and size. 

As eating disorder dietitians who’ve been privileged to walk alongside hundreds of clients in their body image journeys, we know how difficult the path toward a peaceful relationship with our bodies can be. We have all been taught that our value depends on the size of our bodies, and public space can be genuinely kinder in a smaller body. These pressures can certainly make it difficult to accept and respect the body you are in. But, our bodies are the vehicles for every beautiful experience we have in this life, and the path toward a peaceful self-image is one we all deserve to walk!

Body Image Distress Results from Weight Stigma

Wanting your body to physically meet a standard we have been trained to think is beautiful, worthy, or valuable doesn’t just happen – it is a deeply conditioned result of weight stigma. Weight stigma refers to the negative beliefs, attitudes, and discriminatory behavior directed toward individuals based on their body weight or size. Weight stigma harms people in the largest bodies the most, and can lead to unfair differences in treatment and access in almost every facet of personal, professional, and public life. Weight stigma also looms over people all along the size spectrum: it’s the not-so-subtle threat that being in a big body or gaining weight might mean losing value, acceptance, or access.

Bodies are Ever Changing

The problem, however, is that seeking to avoid stigma or gain fulfillment by attempting to change something fundamental about ourselves will always be a losing battle. We cannot build the foundation of our self-esteem and self-worth on something that is guaranteed to change over our lifetime. Our bodies will (and are meant to!) change over the course of our lives in response to the many good, bad, and neutral things that happen to us – growing and aging, stress, illness, recovery, mental and physical health changes, injuries, parenthood, work, grief, and more – so it is best to build the foundation of our self-worth on values that are more constant. In all of our years of supporting clients with body image concerns, we’ve never seen someone successfully build their happiness and joy on achieving a smaller body or lower number on the scale. While it can temporarily bring praise or a relief from stigma given the culture we live in, in our clinical experience it is usually not enough to create meaningful, long-lasting contentment.

Practical Tips for Body Image Resilience

Below, we have some practical tips to offer for body image resilience in summertime – please take whatever resonates for you, and leave the rest. And always, always remember that your body does not need to change in any way to put on the swimsuit. It’s ready right as it is now! 

  1. Your clothes should fit your here and now body, not the other way around. There are real time, money, and access limitations to contend with, but as much as possible it’s best to work toward removing anything from your closet that doesn’t fit comfortably (either give away or store somewhere that isn’t visible). Keeping clothing that doesn’t fit will keep triggering negative body image loops when you’re just trying to get dressed in the morning. You deserve clothing that fits your here and now body, even when it’s hard to find things you like, and even when it’s painful to part with old favorites. 
  2. Think about a bad body image day like a bad hair day. We all have them. But when we wake up with a bad hair day, we don’t immediately chop it all off or dye it a new color. Instead, we use some coping tools to make it through the day – throw on a hat, tie it back, or spray in some dry shampoo. Consider a tough body image day similarly – it will likely pass, but you need some coping tools to make it through the day without it taking over every thought. So, consider these options as tools for bad body image days: put on a tried-and-true outfit that you have worn before and know you like, wear clothes with a stretchy waistband, and be intentional to limit mirror time and body checking. 
  3. Clean up your social media feed. Unfollow any account that makes you feel bad or hypercritical about your body. Add accounts that centralize body diversity and bodies of all sizes so your brain can see many different kinds of bodies. And sometimes, make sure you step away and take a break from social media to spend time in-person with your people, animals, and/or in nature.
  4. Be mindful of your words. How we speak to ourselves and our bodies matters. A lot. Try being neutral and gentle in your thoughts towards your body. With practice at using neutral, gentle language, more kindness and peace can find their way in.
  5. Do things that bring you INTO your body (rather than looking AT your body). Here are a few ideas: Camping, hiking, and other nature-based activities; seeing live music; making music or art; dancing and yoga (without mirrors!); playing with pets or kids; and spending time with people you love and making each other laugh.
  6. Stay consistent with your eating pattern. Eating every 2-4 hours throughout the day can help to keep your energy and blood glucose levels steady and regulated, which in turn can help support your mood. Avoiding a “hangry” state can certainly help us be kinder to our bodies!
  7. Remember two things can be true at once. You can have a hard body image day AND know that your body is good and deserves your care (and eat your meals and snacks!).
  8. You don’t have to love how your body looks to move toward acceptance. Getting to a place where body image doesn’t take up a lot of room in your brain doesn’t necessarily mean you have to love exactly how your body looks.

The path toward body peace is hard work, but it is a journey that is certainly worth it. Our truest hope for anyone struggling with body image is permission to receive and believe the message that your “here and now” body is a GOOD body. Your body is the one vehicle you have to do life in; it knows nothing about beauty standards, BMI, or clothing sizes, it is simply doing its best to support you; and your value as a human being is not tied to your body size. This summer, we hope you find yourself less preoccupied with your body, and more present for the watermelon, the late sunsets, and the slower pace you deserve! 

Get Support

For more support with body image distress that co-occurs with disordered eating or other mental or physical health conditions, please reach out to work with one of our amazing dietitians!  Our experienced dietitians are here to support you in building body image resilence. 

For more reading on body image distress and resilience, check out these resources: 

And many more!