INFOGRAPHICWELL-BEING

Ways to Improve Your Body Image and Confidence

Reviewed by Susan Ko, Ph.D.
June 03, 2025
How to Boost Your Body Confidence A healthy body image means you’re confident in how you look and feel comfortable in your body. How We Feel About Our Bodies Up to 40% of women and up to 30% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies, according to research. People may feel uncomfortable with their Muscle tone Specific body parts or traits Weight 55% of American adults would like to lose weight, according to a recent survey. Healthy eating and exercise are the most common weight loss strategies. In one study, they were each used about 60% of the time. But some research suggests that focus on emotional health and hope may be more important for long-term weight control and improved body image. How Positive Body Image Can Lead to Happiness More Life Enjoyment The more content people are with their body image, the more content they tend to be in general. Better Mental Health Better body satisfaction may be associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders. Better Physical Health People who don’t feel confident in their bodies are more likely to have harmful behaviors than to eat healthy foods and exercise. More Connected Relationships People with lower body satisfaction tend to believe that their partner is less attracted to them, which can lead to less sexual satisfaction, too. Receiving more physical affection can help improve body satisfaction, research suggests. Ways to Improve Body Image Develop Positive Self-Talk Try noticing the way you speak to yourself. Use positive statements like, “I have strong legs” or “My body is healthy.” Repeat these phrases to counter any negativity in your head. Try to avoid people who make negative remarks about your body. Ditch Diet Culture Avoid meals with people who are constantly on diets or eliminating certain foods. Likewise, don’t follow extreme dieters on social media. Prioritize Realistic Imagery Limit magazines, TV, and movies that glamorize extreme body ideals—or at least take the images with a grain of salt. Move Your Body People who do regular physical activity feel better about their appearance than those who don’t, research suggests. Find a type of exercise you like — dancing, cycling, roller-skating — and plan to do it regularly. Take a Social Media Break Research suggests that social media use leads to appearance comparisons that can cause body image insecurities. Focus on Health Rather than watching the number on the scale, set different goals for yourself, such as: Walk 10,000 steps a day. A pedometer or fitness app makes it easy to count. Do 2 more pushups each week than you did the week before. Work 1 more green vegetable into each day’s meals. Be Mindful Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. And it helps decrease body dissatisfaction. Try these mindfulness techniques: Slowly count 30 of your breaths. Walk slowly for 30 steps, feeling each part of your foot as it rolls through the step. Lie down and scan your entire body mentally. How does each part feel? When your thoughts distract you, simply let them pass by without judgment. Flip the Script When you're feeling bad about how you look, take out a piece of paper and write down 3 things you like about your face and/or body. “People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.” –Salma Hayek Sources Campbell J.T., et al. (2024) Women Who Experience More Affectionate Touch Report Better Body Satisfaction and Relationship Outcomes. The Journal of Sex Research. Davis, L.L., et al. (2019) The Role of Body Image in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Flourishing in Men and Women. Journal of Happiness Studies. Eck, K. M., et al. (2022) Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Styles, Weight-Related Behaviors, and Health among Young Women in the United States. Nutrients. Gallup. (2024). 43% of Americans Say They Are Overweight; 55% Want to Slim Down. Hockey, A., et al. (2021). Body Image Projection Bias in Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Dyadic Investigation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Mokari-Yamchi, A., et al. (2024). Demographic correlates of weight-loss strategies in US adults: Cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data 2017–2020. Preventative Medicine Reports. Office on Women’s Health. (2025). Body Image. Osborne, E.L., et al. (2022). Effects of Decentering and Non-judgement on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Affect Among Young Adult Women. Mindfulness. Powers, J et al. (2023). Happiness Factors in Weight Loss Maintenance. Journal of Happiness and Health. Quittkat HL et al. (2019). Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan. Frontiers in Psychology. Rodgers RF et al. (2023). Body image as a global mental health concern. Global Mental Health (Cambridge). Ryding, FC et al. (2020). The use of social networking sites, body image dissatisfaction, and body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review of psychological research. Psychology of Popular Media.

For the text version of this infographic, read on:

How to Boost Your Body Confidence

A healthy body image means you’re confident in how you look and feel comfortable in your body.

How We Feel About Our Bodies

Up to 40% of women and up to 30% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies, according to research.

People may feel uncomfortable with their

  • Muscle tone
  • Specific body parts or traits
  • Weight

55% of American adults would like to lose weight, according to a recent survey. 32% of women and 23% of men are actively trying to lose weight.

Diet and exercise are the most common weight loss strategies. In one study, about 60% of people trying to lose weight were trying to eat more healthily. About the same percentage of people were exercising.

But some research suggests that focus on emotional health and hope may be more important for long-term weight control and improved body image.

How Positive Body Image Can Lead to Happiness

More Life Enjoyment

The more content people are with their body image, the more content they tend to be in general.

Better Mental Health

Better body satisfaction may be associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders.

Better Physical Health

People who don’t feel confident in their bodies are more likely to have harmful behaviors than to eat healthy foods and exercise.

More Connected Relationships

People with lower body satisfaction tend to believe that their partner is less attracted to them, which can lead to less sexual satisfaction, too.

Receiving more physical affection can help improve body satisfaction, research suggests.

Ways to Improve Body Image

Develop Positive Self-Talk

Try noticing the way you speak to yourself. Use positive statements like, “I have strong legs” or “My body is healthy.” Repeat these phrases to counter any negativity in your head.

Try to avoid people who make negative remarks about your body.

Ditch Diet Culture

Avoid meals with people who are constantly on diets or eliminating certain foods. Likewise, don’t follow extreme dieters on social media.

Prioritize Realistic Imagery

Limit magazines, TV, and movies that glamorize extreme body ideals—or at least take the images with a grain of salt.

Move Your Body

People who do regular physical activity feel better about their appearance than those who don’t, research suggests. Find a type of exercise you like — dancing, cycling, roller-skating — and plan to do it regularly.

Take a Social Media Break

Research suggests that social media use leads to appearance comparisons that can cause body image insecurities.

Focus on Health

Rather than watching the number on the scale, set different goals for yourself, such as:

  • Walk 10,000 steps a day. A pedometer or fitness app makes it easy to count.
  • Do 2 more pushups each week than you did the week before.
  • Work 1 more green vegetable into each day’s meals.

Be Mindful

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. And it helps decrease body dissatisfaction.

Try these mindfulness techniques:

  • Slowly count 30 of your breaths.
  • Walk slowly for 30 steps, feeling each part of your foot as it rolls through the step.
  • Lie down and scan your entire body mentally. How does each part feel?

When your thoughts distract you, simply let them pass by without judgment.

Flip the Script

When you're feeling bad about how you look, take out a piece of paper and write down 3 things you like about your face and/or body.

“People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.” –Salma Hayek

Sources

Campbell J.T., et al. (2024) Women Who Experience More Affectionate Touch Report Better Body Satisfaction and Relationship Outcomes. The Journal of Sex Research.

Davis, L.L., et al. (2019) The Role of Body Image in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Flourishing in Men and Women. Journal of Happiness Studies.

Eck, K. M., et al. (2022) Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Styles, Weight-Related Behaviors, and Health among Young Women in the United States. Nutrients.

Gallup. (2024). 43% of Americans Say They Are Overweight; 55% Want to Slim Down.

Hockey, A., et al. (2021). Body Image Projection Bias in Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Dyadic Investigation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Mokari-Yamchi, A., et al. (2024). Demographic correlates of weight-loss strategies in US adults: Cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data 2017–2020. Preventative Medicine Reports.

Office on Women’s Health. (2025). Body Image.

Osborne, E.L., et al. (2022). Effects of Decentering and Non-judgement on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Affect Among Young Adult Women. Mindfulness.

Powers, J et al. (2023). Happiness Factors in Weight Loss Maintenance. Journal of Happiness and Health.

Quittkat HL et al. (2019). Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan. Frontiers in Psychology.

Rodgers RF et al. (2023). Body image as a global mental health concern. Global Mental Health (Cambridge).

Ryding, FC et al. (2020). The use of social networking sites, body image dissatisfaction, and body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review of psychological research. Psychology of Popular Media.