[The Social Perspective of Body Changing Behaviors]

The Social Perspective of Body Changing Behaviors Abstract. In clinical practice, patients who are strongly dissatisfied with the condition or appearance of their body are common. Many of them try to shape their body according to their own ideals by means of body practices. However, this is about much more than mere appearance. The body is a central element of one's identity. The relationship we have with our body is socially shaped and reflects questions about who we are and how we want to be perceived. The needs for attachment and control represent central motives here: In the need for attachment, body practice primarily serves social recognition, whether to stand out positively or not negatively. In the case of the need for control, the body serves as a docile object of self-empowerment.