Body Image is defined as a person’s mental opinion or description of his or her own physical appearance. This starts during infancy with contact (or lack of) and involves others’ reactions to physical appearance. Body image can be perceived from very negative to very positive feelings. Poor body image tends to become a problem during childhood and teenage years due to the many influences around them. Peers can put pressure on them to look a certain way, mass media advertisements can promote a specific body type, and parents can influence their feelings towards their appearance. Teenage children and young adults are much more susceptible to changes in their body and self esteem due to going through puberty. A negative body image can lead to constant fad dieting, low self esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and emotional distress.

You can help your child develop a positive body image by following these simple steps. First, avoid negative statements on weight, body size, shape, and food intake. Instead, give your child compliments on their personal values, talents and accomplishments. Second, keep the lines of communication open with your children so they can feel comfortable talking to you. Make sure they understand that weight gain is a normal part of development, especially during puberty.  Third, limit your child’s TV time which will reduce their expose to media messages and images. Fourth, make healthy snacks and meals available and let your children have a say in their decisions about their food choices.  Counting calories or restricting intake is not a safe practice for children, unless it is for medical reasons.   Instead they need to enjoy regular balanced meals and make smart snack choices. Following the suggestions from MyPyramid, which include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, leans meats or adequate protein sources and low fat dairy, can help meet this goal.  Finally, children need to find physical activities they enjoy. It does not matter if it’s through sports, dance, martial arts, bike riding, walking a dog, or any other form of movement; all that matters is they get active on a regular basis.

Sound nutrition and fitness are goals we all need to focus on regardless of our size or age. Teaching this to our children early will enable them to feel great from the inside out, which will lead to a more positive, healthy body image.