Although people may engage in AF for the short-term relief of
negative emotions related to one’s appearance, for some individuals
the use of these strategies for that purpose is associated
with long-term negative behavioral and mental health
outcomes. These outcomes include decreased self-esteem, disordered
eating attitudes and behaviors, and increased negative
affect. Over time, the excessive use of AF as a coping method
may lead to increasingly harmful behaviors such as disordered
eating, excessive exercise, regular tanning, APED use, and excessive
cosmetic surgery. Because these behaviors carry the risk of
deleterious physical consequences, further research should
focus on decreasing harmful AF strategies in individuals with
body dissatisfaction.