Being a positive body image role model
If you show that you feel positive about your own body, it’ll be easier for your child to be positive about his body. A positive attitude includes:
making healthy eating and physical activity part of your everyday family life
avoiding fad or crash diets
appreciating your own body for what it can do, not just how it looks
being proud of things in yourself that aren’t related to appearance
accepting and valuing people no matter how they look, and not commenting on how people look.
Sometimes unhelpful body attitudes can show up in subtle comments and messages without us really being aware of it. For example, we might see a friend and say something like, ‘You look great – you’ve lost so much weight!’ Comments like these can add up and influence the way children feel about their bodies.
It’s important to let everyone in your family know that teasing about weight or appearance is not OK. Teasing can have a negative influence on body image and can also lead to bullying.
Teenage body image concerns: signs to watch out for
It’s normal for your child to be conscious of her body and want to lead a healthy lifestyle.
But there are some signs that your child is focusing too much on his body. Your child might seem to have anxiety and stress about how he looks. He might show this by:
criticising his body – for example, he might say he’s ugly
continually comparing his body with others
not wanting to leave the house because of the way he looks
not doing activities or trying new things because of the way he feels about his body
obsessing about losing weight, or about specific parts of his body, like his face or legs
spending lots of time looking in the mirror or taking photos and looking for changes or imperfections
linking food with feelings of guilt, shame or blame.
If you think your child is experiencing any of these signs, start by talking with her about your concerns. If things don’t change and you’re still worried, consider talking to your GP or another health professional.
If your child wants to eat differently or do more exercise, that’s OK – but make sure it’s for healthy reasons, and the dieting and exercise don’t become extreme. Let your child know that healthy eating and physical activity aren’t just for weight loss – they’re vital for physical health, now and in the future.
Effects of unhealthy teenage body image
Unhealthy teenage body image is directly related to low self-esteem, which can lead to negative moods and mood swings.
Young people who are feeling down are more likely to focus on the negative messages around them and make negative comparisons between their bodies and what they see as ‘ideal’ bodies. Low self-esteem and poor body image are risk factors for the development of risky weight loss strategies, eating disorders and mental health disorders like depression.
Boys, girls, men and women can all be affected by body image issues, but in different ways. For example, teenage girls who don’t like their bodies often want to lose weight and be thinner. Teenage boys want to lose weight, be taller or have more muscles.
Negative teenage body image: risk factors
Some children are more likely than others to feel unhappy about their bodies. Children might be more at risk of developing an unhealthy body image if they:
feel pressure from family, peers or media to fit into a narrow idea of beauty
have a different body shape or weight from their peers or from ‘ideal’ shapes in the media
are perfectionists
look at themselves from the ‘outside’ and worry about how others see them
compare themselves to others
have low self-esteem or experience symptoms of depression
belong to a friendship, sport or dance group that emphasises a certain body type
have physical disabilities.
Teenage children in general, teenage girls in particular and young people who are overweight are also more likely to feel negative about their bodies or have an unhealthy body image.
