Unpacking the Four Dimensions of Body Image – A Dietitian & Therapist's Perspective
- Kaitlyn Franklin
- Jun 2
- 4 min read
Hello everyone, Kaitlyn Franklin here, as a professional who wears two hats – that of a registered dietitian and a therapist, I spend a lot of time talking about body image. It’s a topic that touches nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we interact with others to our relationship with food and even our overall mental well-being. But body image isn't just about what you see in the mirror; it’s a complex, multifaceted construct with layers that run far deeper than skin.
Today, I want to unpack the four key aspects of body image: perception, affect, cognitive, and behavioural. Understanding these distinct yet interconnected dimensions can be supportive to a person on their own body image journey as they invite compassion, empathy and understanding of self. So, let’s explore each one.
1. The Perception Body: What You See (and How You See It)
Let's start with the perception aspect of body image. This refers to how you see your body – its size, shape, and overall appearance. It’s the mental picture you hold of yourself, which isn’t always an accurate reflection of reality.
It's common for our body image perception to be inaccurate. We might become distressed and hyperfocused on perceived flaws, genuinely believing our bodies don't meet "societal norms" or that their shape and appearance are somehow "wrong."
Perception can directly connect to a person's behaviour around food. A person might fall into diet culture norms to change their body to “fit” into society better. I often notice a pattern around falling into the diet cycle when a person is trying to change their appearance. This can lead to an over focus on food and intake and change a person's relationship with food in a negative way.
2. The Affect Body: How You Feel About your body
When we talk about this dimension, we're exploring the emotions and feelings you experience about your body. Take a moment to consider: when you think about your physical self, do you primarily feel pride, shame, disgust, anxiety, comfort, or more of a neutral stance? It's often within this affective component that much of the pain resides. These feelings can surface from triggers as subtle as a comment, a glimpse in the mirror, or even just a passing thought.
It is common to hear about food being used as a coping mechanism for these uncomfortable emotions and feelings. Feeling shame about your body? You might turn towards or away from food to add more comfort to this moment.
3. The Cognitive Body: What You Think About Your Body
The cognitive aspect of body image, refers to the thoughts, beliefs, and judgments you hold about your body. This is the inner dialogue, the running commentary in your mind about your physical self. These thoughts can be positive, negative, or neutral, and they often reflect deeply ingrained beliefs about what your body should look like, what it means to have a certain body type, or even moral judgments about your body's perceived imperfections.
I invite you to explore thoughts like, "If I were thinner, I would be happier," or "My body is a failure." These thoughts aren't just fleeting; they can become rigid beliefs that shape how you live your life.
The cognitive component heavily influences our food rules and beliefs. If you hold the belief that "carbs are bad," you might rigidly avoid them, even if your body needs them for energy. These cognitive food rules, often internalized from diet culture, can be incredibly restrictive and damaging, leading to a constant battle between what your mind thinks you should eat and what your body needs.
4. The Behavioural Body: What You Do Because of How You See, Feel, and Think
Finally, let’s talk about the behavioural aspect of body image. This refers to the actions you take – or avoid taking – as a result of your perceptual, affective, and cognitive body image.
Here are some examples of behaviours.
Restrictive eating, compulsive exercise, body checking, dieting and weight cycling and many more.
Building a Healthier Body Image: A Holistic Approach
Understanding these four aspects of body image is one of the steps towards healing and cultivating a more compassionate relationship with your body.
Where to go from here?
Challenging Perceptual Distortions: This includes mindful observation without judgment and learning to appreciate your body's functionality beyond its appearance.
Processing Affective Distress: Therapy provides a safe space to explore and process the emotions associated with your body. .
Rewriting Cognitive Narratives: Identifying and challenging negative self-talk and limiting beliefs about your body is crucial.
Shifting Behavioural Patterns: Working to decrease the behaviours and instead finding joyful movement that honours your body, and engaging in self-care behaviors that truly nourish you rather than punish you.
In Summary
Ultimately, cultivating a positive body image isn't about loving every single part of your body every single day. It's about developing a sense of respect, acceptance, and compassion for the incredible vehicle that carries you through life. It's about recognizing that your worth is not tied to your size or shape, and that your body deserves to be nourished, moved, and cared for, regardless of how it looks.
It's a journey, not a destination, and one that is profoundly worth taking.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you are looking for support along your journey please reach out. I am currently accepting 1:1 clients.
Kaitlyn Franklin. RCC. RD. MACP
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Registered Dietitian
Nourishing the Whole Person
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