Raising Teens with a Healthy Body Image
Parents are pretty aware of the fact that most teens struggle with insecurities; in fact, a recent study found that two-thirds of parents reported that their child is self-conscious about some aspect of their appearance. Keep reading to learn about how you can help your teen develop a positive relationship with food and their body.
What is Body Image?
The term “body image” refers to the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions you have about your person and your comfortability within your own body. Many people start to struggle with their body image during adolescence because of the major physical and emotional changes that happen during this time (thanks, puberty). Someone with a healthy, positive body image is overall content with how they look and feels comfortable in their own skin; on the other hand, someone with poor, negative body image feels distressed about their appearance and likely struggles with low-self esteem.
Why It’s Important
Having a healthy body image isn’t just important for self-esteem, it’s important for overall mental and physical health. People who struggle with negative body image are more likely to develop conditions such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders (which actually have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness). With eating disorders in adolescents more than doubling in the past few years, it’s more important than ever for parents to do what they can to help their teens foster a healthy relationship with their bodies.
How You Can Help
Be a positive role model. The best way to promote body positivity is to practice it yourself. Whether you realize it or not, how you speak about your body and others’ appearances have an impact on your child’s body image. Try to refrain from making negative comments about your body in front of your teen and use neutral language when talking about food (no diet talk or labeling foods as “good” or “bad”).
Try to shift the focus away from looks. Rather than making comments about appearances, shift your language to focus on characteristics or accomplishments instead. This helps to reinforce the idea that an individual’s value isn’t based on how they look.
Have conversations about social media (and limit it when possible). It’s no secret that social media can do damage to our self-esteem–we’re constantly bombarded with images of the “perfect” body, and most of the time, that body isn’t even real…it’s photoshopped or even digitally generated with AI. It’s important to make sure that your child isn’t comparing themselves to what they see on their newsfeed and to teach them to critically assess media messages about beauty.
Promote healthy coping skills. Teaching your teen to deal with negative emotions in a healthy way can help to prevent them from turning to negative coping mechanisms, such as obsessing over their appearance or disordered eating. When your child seems distressed, try pointing them towards activities such as journaling, listening to music, getting outside in nature, or doing something creative.
Know what to look out for. Signs that your teen might have or be at risk for developing an unhealthy body image include:
Constant comments about their bodies or comparisons to others
Refusal to engage in certain activities because of how they feel about their body
Wearing loose and baggy clothing, especially if not seasonally appropriate (e.g., wearing long pants and sweatshirts in the summer)
Talking about or asking for cosmetic procedures or surgeries
Drastic changes in eating and/or exercise habits
Inability to be flexible/very black-and-white thinking
Getting Additional Support
If you think that your teen might be struggling with their body image, talking to their primary care provider or a therapist can be a great place to start. At Collaborative Minds Psychotherapy, our Virtual Body Image Group for Teens incorporates evidence-based practices for improving body image, embracing intuitive eating, and preventing the development of eating disorders. We also have several therapists who have openings for individual therapy if you or your teen would benefit from more individualized support. Contact us today to schedule a free 15-minute call with our intake coordinator to learn more and sign up!
