You should see a professional counselor about it. I think setting goals for body fat that are sub-fertile (for Western women) and thus evolutionarily suboptimal regardless of whether you intend to have children or not is concerning, but only a psychologist or psychiatrist is going to be able to tell you if you have it or not.

Paleo isn't magic. No diet is going to cure BDD. Eating a healthy diet can give you more strength and mood stability while you are pursuing other ways to deal with BDD. Depending on how severe your problem is, you may need to seek professional help. If it is milder you may be fine working through it on your own using a book or website, or with a support group.

I hope the many PH members who are recovering from eating disorders/chronic calorie restriction chime in! These issues go hand in hand with dysmorphic views of your own body.

I think a TON of women have a dysmorphic view of their bodies. In fact I think few people have a self-image that meshes with the majority of other people's viewpoints; this isn't necessarily bad or sick though.

Personally, I've felt better and better about how I look over the last 3 years, and the catalyst was when I began taking care of my body for the sake of my health (short and long-term - with fertility and reproduction in mind as well) first and foremost. Before, I would try to eat better or exercise or whatever, but only because I didn't want to look like X or didn't like Y. Part of changing that negative focus was deciding to accept that this is the body I have and it might never look significantly different. But after finding paleo, I got some of those significant positive changes in the way I look anyway (no acne, more curves). That isn't the main reason my self-esteem has improved so much, though - that was more self-love and positive self-talk. So yes, it's been very helpful to my mental and emotional health as well as the purely physical.

just because you might not have diagnosable BDD, does not mean you could not benefit a ton from speaking with a professional about your negative feelings and perceptions about your body, which may in fact be wholly unrealistic or unhealthy.

I feel like your frustration and dislike towards a figure which by all evidence I've seen so far is attractive, strong, fit, healthy, and lean yet fertile, is something you should strive to change. Young women should not waste the fastest, strongest, most beautiful years of their life feeling like crap because their body fat % isn't under 15%, and directing an insane amount of effort and activity in their lives towards such a pointless (IMO) goal...

I agree with Melissa, that you should speak with a therapist or maybe go to group therapy. At the very least, that will let you know whether what BDD-sufferers experience sounds like you.

That being said, I think that eating disorders and BDD often tend to be just one symptom of generalized anxiety or OCD. I read your original post, and it sounds like you're not so much obsessed with your body as with perfection generally. That might be good to keep in mind, otherwise you might seemingly cure your eating disorder only to find that you're beating yourself up over other things. So, try to be gentle with yourself. There's no "the best." There's just you, whoever you are today. And I have no doubt that, on any given day, you are plenty lovable regardless of the goals you're setting for yourself.

On the personal experience front, I find that when I don't eat enough food or eat gluten, I become anxious. Both of those things cause adrenaline to flood my system, making me flip out generally and feel out of control, which of course makes me want to control things more. I don't know how much you're eating, but if you're that concerned with your body, it's possible you're not eating enough and it's just creating a self-reinforcing cycle.

Hey Michelle,

I've suffered from anorexia and bulimia in the past, and am currently struggling with an EDNOS, however, the Paleo lifestyle has really helped me to feel more in control of my eating habits (or of lack of). I remember reading that most women in western society suffer from some form of body dysmorphic thinking and the trend continues to rise.

While eating disorders don't ever really go away, (I've suffered with mine for 6 years), they do get easier to control and manage. But eating Paleo is slowly helping me with the day to day challenges I still face. Although I still feel guilty about surpassing old calorie limits and other mental challenges, this has been the most productive way to stay on top of myself mentally.

But all that aside, please, please go talk to someone about this. Its best to figure these sort of things out soon before they blow up into someone barely manageable. Good luck, and if you need anything don't be shy! :D

I am suffering from it as well. I take a lot of before after photos.. they don't lie and even though I can look at them and go "wow that picture is flattering,I don't really look like that" I do realize with everyone saying how great I look, I need to love me for me!

Paleo is helping but I have hit a plateau.. It will not cure it but if your eating right and working out and feeling great then you will do just fine!

This is a popular topic, rightfully so. Many women suffer with BDD, and some sort of disordered eating. Personally, I have suffered.with bdd, anorexia and bulimia. I Have completed intensive outpatient, and been through a lot of therepy. I.found crossfit a year ago. A lot of crossfitters at my gym encourage paleo. When I started I was very against paleontology, because everything I learned in treatment said to Have meal plan and not.restrict certain foods etc. I have always been an athlete, I Have always.loved.working out and been fairly.fit. when I found crossfit I.fell in love. Crossfit makes me feel beautiful being strong. I have learned to embrace my body for How strong it is. I got to.the point where I.was plateauing and suffering some shoulder injuries and pain. I decided That I.would start.reading up on paleo, and was worth a try on me being able.to.feel better. I did this and Have now been doing paleo for about 1.5 months. I Have had some awesome results. I got my.first muscle up, increased my deadlift Max 20 lbs to 275, and finished.one workout 1 min behind the fastest record woman's time! This is just the. Start of my.successes through paleo and crossfit. I still struggle with my body image ay times, but paleo and crossfit has helped me to love who I've become and my.strength I.mow want to eat frequently and.the right.things.to.be stronger and better at crossfit.

This isn't really an answer on BDD, but here's some advice on how to improve your body image, from a great eating disorder resource website: http://www.something-fishy.org/reach/bodyimage.php

I've always been a fitness nut - BDD, like any psychological disorder, has a range of severity. Everyone draws a different line between obsession and dedication.

As long as you're happy and healthy, why worry about what other people think? Moderation is boring anyway.

12-15% is safe for most women just as 5-6% is safe for most men. If that's your goal, then do it - just make sure you're happy (and healthy) in the process. If you get amenorrhoeic then you're exercising too much and/or your body fat is too low. That will likely be your best indicator of sub-optimal body fat levels.