Values Affirmations Improve Body Image

Body image concerns and disordered eating are widespread among college-aged women, with over 60% reporting such issues. The rise of social media platforms like Instagram, used by roughly 71% of women aged 18–29, has intensified these concerns. Fitspiration—the word used to describe images and videos explicitly posted to promote fitness but often depicting thin, idealized bodies—has been linked to lower body satisfaction and more negative mood among women. Research consistently finds that even limited exposure to fitspiration images can worsen body image without actually increasing motivation to exercise.

A 2023 study published in Body Image examined whether a brief values affirmation intervention could buffer women against the negative effects of fitspiration.

A total of 238 female college students were randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. Values Affirmation + Fitspiration: participants reflected on their most important personal value before viewing fitspiration images
2. Control + Fitspiration: participants described daily activities before viewing fitspiration images
3. Travel Control: participants viewed only travel images

Measures of body dissatisfaction and negative mood were collected before and after image exposure. Results showed that women in the Control + Fitspiration group experienced significant increases in body dissatisfaction and negative mood following exposure, which aligns with previous research on the negative psychological effects of fitspiration content. In contrast, those in the Values Affirmation + Fitspiration group showed no significant change to their self-image or mood, illustrating a protective effect. Participants in the Travel Control group demonstrated small improvements in body satisfaction and mood, suggesting that travel content may not be as harmful as fitspiration. The timing of the intervention (before or after exposure) did not influence outcomes, meaning that values-based affirmations could be delivered at any time to help assuage the negative effect of fitspiration content.

Overall, findings suggest that reflecting on personally meaningful values may provide a temporary psychological buffer against the harmful effects of fitspiration content. Although values affirmation did not improve mood or body satisfaction, it appeared to prevent the declines observed in participants who lacked such reflection.