When Does Body-Checking Becomes A Problem?

There’s a fine line between recording fitness progress and obsessing over it. Here’s what you should know about body-checking.

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Taking progress photos, body circumference measurements, body fat tests, and more are all common practices in the fitness and weight-loss industries. In fact, snapping mirror selfies has been touted by countless fitness experts and influencers as a way of keeping track of progress while still employing a “don’t know, don’t care” approach to the scale.

But just as the scale can encourage an obsession with numbers, constantly looking at your body for changes— also known as body-checking —can become an unhealthy practice. How do we find the line between tracking progress and becoming obsessed? Mental health and fitness experts weigh in.

While body checking is common in those with diagnosed eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia, it also can occur on its own, especially in people who are very concerned about their appearance, says Dr. Gene Beresin, executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. And it’s known the more people use social media, the more concerned they are about their appearance.

That’s why this issue is gaining traction right now. “Body-checking is of particular concern now in the pervasive digital age, because we know from many studies that media can significantly—and usually negatively—influence body image,” says Dr. Beresin.

WHAT LEADS TO THIS OBESSION?