It makes sense that so many people reach for body change when they’re struggling. We live in a culture that constantly suggests: If you could just look different, you’d feel different.

But here’s the truth we see again and again in eating disorder and body image work:

Fixing your body and fixing your body image are not the same thing.

You can change your weight, your shape, your muscle definition, your clothing size and still feel the same (or worse) inside your body.

This post is an invitation to explore why that happens, what cultural forces shape it, and what it can look like to pursue healing that isn’t dependent on changing your appearance.

Body Positivity Didn’t Start on Instagram

Body positivity is often framed as a social media trend: a few affirmations, some curated selfies, a campaign slogan.

But the roots go much deeper.

The modern body positivity movement was shaped by (and owes significant credit to) the fat liberation movement, which has been advocating for the dignity, rights, and equitable treatment of fat people for decades. Fat liberation organizers and thinkers pushed back against:

Weight discrimination in healthcare, employment, and education
The moralizing of body size (thin = good, fat = bad)
The medicalization and pathologizing of fat bodies
The idea that respect must be earned through weight loss

Body positivity became more mainstream later, but it was fat liberation that paved the way for public conversations about body autonomy, stigma, and the harm of diet culture.

How Body Positivity Took Off in Social Media and Marketing

As body positivity became more visible, it spread rapidly through:

Social media influencers sharing personal stories and reframing beauty standards
Brands and companies using inclusive messaging in ads and product launches
Campaigns featuring more size diversity, stretch marks, cellulite, and disabled bodies

For many people, this visibility was meaningful. Seeing bodies that looked more like real bodies and hearing language like “you deserve respect now” offered relief.

At the same time, mainstream body positivity has often been watered down or commodified. Sometimes it becomes less about liberation and more about selling a product, a lifestyle, or a new way to fix yourself.

The Cultural Shift: Are We Moving Away From Body Positivity?

Recently, we’ve seen a noticeable shift in Western culture – a swing away from body positivity and toward a familiar, restrictive body ideal.

Some examples:

Influencers publicly denouncing body positivity, framing it as unhealthy or denial
The rise of GLP-1 medications being used for weight loss, and the normalization of rapid, medically-driven body change as a status symbol
The resurgence of the Pilates movement and other aesthetics-driven fitness trends that often (intentionally or not) reinforce a specific acceptable body type
A re-emerging body ideal for women and femmes: thin, toned-but-not-muscular, and increasingly androgynous

None of these trends exist in a vacuum. They shape what people believe is required to be desirable, worthy, or safe.

And when the cultural message becomes “shrink yourself,” it can intensify body shame and disordered eating behaviors – even for people who have done significant healing work.

Why Changing Your Body Doesn’t Automatically Change Self-Worth

A common myth is that weight loss (or any body change) creates confidence.

Sometimes people do feel a temporary boost – often because they receive more positive feedback, less stigma, or more social approval.

But self-worth built on external validation is fragile.

If your sense of value is tied to:

How your body looks in photos
Whether you feel guilty after eating
The number on a scale
Compliments, attention, or perceived desirability

then the goalposts will keep moving.

Even after body change, many people still experience:

Persistent body checking
Fear of weight regain
Feeling not enough unless they maintain strict control
Shame when the body doesn’t match the current ideal

When Self Becomes Enmeshed With Image

For many people, body image isn’t just about appearance, it’s about identity.

Over time, your sense of self can become enmeshed with your external image. You may start to believe:

If my body changes, my life will finally start.
If I look acceptable, I’ll be lovable.
If I’m thin enough, I’ll be safe.

When those beliefs are driving the bus, changing your body may not resolve the underlying fear, shame, or disconnection.

Because the root issue was never the body itself – it was the meaning assigned to the body.

I’ve Done Body Image Work Before… And I Still Struggle

This is so common, and it deserves compassion.

Many people have done body image work in:

Individual therapy
Nutrition counseling
Higher levels of care or eating disorder treatment
Support groups or workshops

And still find themselves thinking:

Why is this still hard?
I thought I was past this.
Maybe I didn’t do it right.

Body image healing is not a one-and-done achievement. It’s a practice, especially in a culture that keeps changing the ideal and rewarding people for chasing it.

Sometimes what’s missing isn’t effort. It’s ongoing support, community, and tools you can actually use in real life.

Body Talk: A Different Kind of Support

If you’re tired of trying to fix your body to feel better in it, the Body Talk series was built for you.

Body Talk is a 6-week virtual group experience designed to help you explore and reduce negative body image and body-based shame.

In Body Talk, you’ll get:

Education on the origins of body ideals (so you can see the system, not just blame yourself)
Help naming the “why” behind your body image struggles
Tangible practices for decreasing body shame in everyday moments
Support to take back your life from disordered eating, eating disorders, and the constant noise of negative body image

This isn’t about forcing yourself to love your body every day.

It’s about building a relationship with your body that is more respectful, more stable, and less dependent on appearance.

A Gentle Question to Close

If you’ve been working so hard to change your body, it might be worth asking:

What do I believe will be different for me if my body changes?

And then:

Is there another way to get that need met – without shrinking myself?

You deserve support that addresses the root, not just the surface.

If you’re interested in joining Body Talk, we’d love to have you. Learn more and sign up here.