Reflection Addiction: Break Free from the Grip of Body Checking
Our reflection has become a quiet, constant presence in our lives. Mirrors, windows, car doors, cell phones—they reflect us back to ourselves all day long. That wouldn’t be a problem, except many of us have learned to use those moments not with curiosity or kindness, but to scan for flaws.
Is my stomach sticking out? Do I look bigger today? Should I pull my shirt down, suck it in, fix something?
These quick glances can seem harmless, but when they become routine, they chip away at our sense of peace. Over time, body checking fuels dissatisfaction and self-criticism—and research shows it can actually make it harder to feel attuned to your body’s needs, manage eating intuitively, or feel at home in your skin.
It’s not vanity. It’s vigilance. And it’s exhausting.
But here’s the good news: awareness is the first step in softening this habit—and reclaiming a more compassionate way of seeing yourself.
But First We Need to Check Body Checking
The habit of constantly monitoring your body’s size, shape, or appearance has been coined “body checking.” It can show up in subtle or not-so-subtle ways—and often becomes so automatic, you may not even realize you’re doing it.
According to Healthline, it’s “the habit of seeking information about your body’s weight, shape, size, or appearance.” That might look like:
Weighing yourself frequently
Pinching or grabbing certain body parts to check for changes
Staring at your reflection or comparing yourself to others
Repeatedly checking how your clothes fit
Taking photos or scrolling through old ones to see if you “looked better then”
These behaviors might feel like they give you control—but more often, they leave you feeling anxious, disconnected, and stuck in a cycle of self-surveillance.
What’s the Harm?
Take a moment and ask yourself: when was the last time you body checked and actually walked away feeling better?
Maybe you felt a brief sense of relief—but it didn’t last. That’s the trap. Body checking creates a cycle: a quick glance, a moment of reassurance (or disappointment), followed by the need to check again... and again.
Over time, this habit doesn’t just shape how we see ourselves—it affects how we feel. It pulls us out of our bodies and into self-surveillance mode, chipping away at our confidence and dimming our mood. And let’s be honest: we’re not usually kinder to ourselves than we are to others. Imagine if a friend picked apart your appearance every time you saw them. It would hurt.
Now imagine doing that to yourself—on repeat, every day.
No wonder it gets harder and harder to feel good about ourselves.
Another glaring issue is the link between body checking and disordered eating.
A 2004 study found that there was a clear correlation between body checking and eating disordered behavior. In this study, two groups were interviewed about their habitual body checking. In the first group were women with clinical eating disorders, and the result was a whopping 92% of the group partaking in regular body checking. This was done to assess the shape or weight of their bodies, and was directly linked as being a symptom of their eating disorder. In the second group, a questionnaire was used to assess the habitual body checking in women with and without clinical eating disorders.
The result was a significantly higher amount of body checking being done by women with clinical eating disorders in comparison to women without. It was concluded that body checking was strongly linked with eating disorder traits and symptoms.
Why does this matter? Because body checking doesn’t just reflect our insecurities—it reinforces them. It can serve as "proof" that justifies restriction, fasting, calorie counting, or other attempts to control the body. That glance in the mirror can turn into, “See? This is why I have to skip lunch today.”
And research backs that up. A 2013 study found that body checking was often followed by food restriction later that same day. You might look in the mirror and say, “See, this is different! This is why I have to eat/not eat xyz.”
These thoughts may feel convincing in the moment—but they’re part of the discomfort, not the solution. The more we check, the more disconnected we become from the deeper signals our body is trying to send.
If body checking pulls us away from our bodies, the real healing comes from learning how to listen again. Beneath the surface criticism, there are deeper signals—needs, emotions, and hungers—that are asking to be heard, not judged.
If you’re curious about how to reconnect with those signals, these two blogs are a good place to start:
They’ll help you move from self-surveillance to self-understanding—one gentle step at a time.
How to Break the Habit?
So how do you break free from a habit that’s so automatic—and so tied to how you feel about yourself?
Going cold turkey on body checking is not easy. It’s a bit like nicotine mixed with a bit of confirmation bias. Body checking seems to “confirm” that you should continue to do the checking, while chasing unattainable “perfection” becomes a very unhealthy habit.
It’s not easy. But certainly not impossible.
With awareness, patience, and some gentle shifts, you can loosen the grip body checking has on your day. Here are a few small steps to help you move toward a more peaceful relationship with your reflection:
Stop viewing yourself as an object that you are trying to perfect and start viewing yourself as the reliable car you had in high school. She didn’t look like she should be in a dealership showroom—spotless and there only to be admired. She had a scratch or two, a bit of rust and perhaps a bad paint job. But you loved her for what she could do and who she was, and her “flaws” never changed that.
Take notice of what makes you want to body check. Usually body checking is paired with uncomfortable emotions. Did you not get the promotion you were hoping for? Did you get into a fight with your partner? These hard-to-deal-with feelings can lead to us running to the mirror to cope.
Try finding a different outlet for anxieties. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Curl up with a good book. Breathe in to the count of 6, hold it for a count of 4, then exhale for a count of 8. What about a relaxation app? You could even allow yourself to be uncomfortable, and remind yourself, “This too shall pass.” Resist the urge to take everything out on yourself and try to turn to more gentle methods of care.
Set limits on social media. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are a great way to keep up with the family and friends, but they’re also rife with filters, edits, and only the best moments. Social media tends to make us compare. Comparing too much can lead to those uncomfortable, insecure emotions mentioned in the first bullet point, and the cycle repeats.
If You’re Still Struggling
Body checking, while initially seemingly harmless and short term, can quickly spiral to a place of poor self-esteem, eating disordered habits, and long term insecurities. If you feel that you or your loved ones are struggling with this, we encourage therapy to help cope with uncomfortable feelings and body checking “addictions”. Remember, you are not alone in this struggle, and seeking therapy or professional support can be a valuable resource on your journey toward a healthier and more positive self-image.
Body checking is a habit that can erode your self-esteem, fuel disordered eating behaviors, and perpetuate a cycle of insecurity. Recognizing this pattern and its harmful consequences is the first step toward breaking free from its grip. By shifting our perspective and finding healthier ways to cope with uncomfortable emotions, we can regain control over our self-image and well-being.
It's time to stop letting reflective surfaces be your enemy and start embracing the beauty and uniqueness of your imperfect but remarkable self.
About Eating Wisdom and Drs Karin and Hannah
We are two PhD level Registered and Licensed Nutritionists whose passion is to help others escape diet culture and to learn to use their natural, innate Eating Wisdom to, finally, find peace with food, eating and weight.
© 2021 Karin Kratina, PhD, RD, LDN