Self-presentation can be hazardous to your health: impression management and health risk

People's concerns with how others perceive and evaluate them can lead to behaviors that increase the risk of illness and injury. This article reviews evidence that self-presentation motives play a role in several health problems, including HIV infection; skin cancer; malnutrition and eating disorders; alcohol, tobacco, and drug use; injuries and accidental death; failure to exercise; and acne. The implications of a self-presentational perspective for research in health psychology, the promotion of healthful behaviors, and health care delivery are discussed.