How to stop fixating on your body in the era of GLP-1s

August 27, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

How to stop fixating on your body in the era of GLP-1s

Clinical psychologist Diana Hill has noticed something about the clients who come to her struggling with body dissatisfaction: the problem isn't usually the negative thoughts themselves. The problem is what happens next. "It's actually not the body dissatisfaction that I target in my practice as much as when you are dissatisfied with your body, when you have a negative thought about your arms looking older or you have a negative thought about the bags under your eyes — how much energy and time are you putting into that negative thought," Hill says. "Whether it's obsessing about it in the mirror or going on Instagram trying to find some ways to fix it, versus being able to engage in your life and the things that you care about."

That distinction is the foundation of what psychologists call body image flexibility — a framework that doesn't ask you to love your body or even feel neutral about it. It asks something more practical: what do you do when the negative thoughts show up?

The trap of attention

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What you'll learn

1 (00:48) **The Problem: Body Fixation vs. Living Your Life** - Clinical psychologist Diana Hill introduces the core issue: the energy spent on negative body thoughts versus engaging in life.
2 (02:31) **A Richer View of Your Body** - The body is more than an object to be looked at; it’s a source of internal sensation and a tool for connection.
3 (06:07) **Strategy 1: Flexible Attention** - The first tool for body image flexibility: shifting your focus when you fixate on a disliked feature.
4 (07:54) **Adapting for Chronic Pain or Illness** - A specific application of flexible attention for those who find "going inside" their body painful.
5 (09:47) **Broadening Attention Outward** - Flexible attention also means turning your focus to what's outside your body and how it connects you to the world.
6 (10:44) **The Social Cost of Fixation** - Body fixation actively harms your relationships and connection with others.
7 (11:22) **Strategy 2: The Energy Audit** - A practical exercise to become aware of how body image drains your energy and time.

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Show Notes

It can be difficult to love how your body looks, or even like it. But what if you could expand the way you think about your body? This episode, psychologist Diana Hill shares how to practice body image flexibility and appreciate all of the ways your body allows you to experience the world. She gives mental exercises that help you fixate less on your appearance in an image-obsessed culture.

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