Your child’s body image is influenced by many factors. These factors include family environment, ability or disability, attitudes of peers, the media and advertising, the fashion industry and cultural background. Social media also has a big influence on teenage body image, particularly when teenagers post and view photos of themselves and others on social media. As your child reaches puberty, fitting in and looking the same as other people becomes even more important. At the same time, her body is going through lots of changes, inside and out.
This can mean your child might feel more pressure to look and act a certain way. 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 and attractiveness, or if family members or peers tease them about their appearance have a different body shape or weight from many of their peers, or a body shape that’s obviously different from the `ideal’ shapes seen in the media are perfectionists ook at themselves from the ‘outside’ and worry about how others see them, or if they compare themselves to others have low self-esteem experience symptoms of depression belong to a subculture, such as a friendship, sport or dance group that emphasises a certain body type have a physical disability. Teenage children in general, teenage girls in particular and overweight young people are also more likely to feel negative about their bodies or have an unhealthy body image.
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 body and what they see as an ‘ideal’ body. Low self-esteem and poor body image are risk factors for the development of risky weight loss strategies, eating disorders and mental health disorders such as depression.
Teenage body image concerns: signs to watch out for It’s normal for your child to be conscious of his body and want to look great and lead a healthy lifestyle. But when children focus too much on their bodies, it can lead to lots of anxiety and stress. If you think your child is experiencing any of the following signs, start by talking with her about your concerns. If things don’t change and you’re still worried, consider talking to a health professional. Your child might be: feeling inadequate about or criticising his body – he might say he’s ugly continually comparing his body with others not wanting to leave the house because of the way he looks ot 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, such as his face or legs linking food with feelings of guilt, shame or blame.
Developing a healthy body image: how you can help your child Talking about body image Many young people feel confused or concerned about the physical changes that come with puberty. You can help by listening to how your child is feeling about her body and its changes – active listening skills can build openness and show your child that you’re really taking notice of what she’s saying.
If your child isn’t talking or opening up to you, he might like to talk with another trusted adult. He could also: contact an anonymous service like Kids Helpline – phone 1800 551 800 use Kids Helpline web counselling or Kids Helpline email counselling services. It’s important to let everyone in your family know that teasing about appearance is not OK. Teasing can have a negative influence on body image and can also lead to children bullying peers at school.
Teasing about weight – including starting rumours, cyberbullying and sharing unflattering photos – has a negative effect on body image too. You could talk to your child’s school to see if they’ve included this kind of teasing in their anti-bullying policies. Speak to a GP, or other health professional if you’re concerned about the way your child feels about her body. Being a positive body 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: aking healthy eating and physical activity part of your everyday family life, and avoiding fad diets – this will help your child find the right balance appreciating your own body for what it can do, not just how it looks being proud of things that aren’t related to appearance, such as having a sense of humour, trying hard, being caring or being helpful – you can point out these qualities in yourself and your child 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! ’ It can be helpful to think about how comments like these add up over time and influence the way children feel about their bodies. Watch out for dieting for weight loss. All crash diets are dangerous. They frequently lead to unhealthy eating patterns and can increase the likelihood of people becoming obese. If your child wants to make lifestyle changes, make sure it’s for healthy reasons. 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.
