Promoting a Healthy Body Image with Young People

Here are some ideas on how to do this:

• Educate ourselves about
  1. the genetic basis of differences in body shape and weight; link respect for diversity in weight and shape with respect for diversity in gender, ethnicity and intelligence (among other qualities)
  2. the nature and ugliness of prejudice
  3. developmental milestones, that weight gain is a normal and necessary part of development, especially during puberty
  4. the dangers of trying to alter body size through dieting, dieting is associated with disordered eating, irritability, depression, fatigue and paradoxically long term weight gain

• Review our own attitudes and values. Do we convey a message that says ‘I will like myself/you more if I/you lose weight, eat less, wear a smaller size, eat only ‘good’ foods?
• Scrutinize school books, posters, resources which endorse the cultural ideal of thinness. Watch also to see if the school includes diverse images of successful women in the curriculum. Without alternative role models, girls are left with media definitions of thinness as a primary means of success for women.
• Encourage people to ignore body shape as an indicator of anything about personality or value.
• Phrases like ‘fat slob’, ‘pig out’, ‘thunder thighs’ may not be intended to cause harm, but can create self-consciousness, shame and anxiety. It is noteworthy that being teased about body shape is associated with disturbed attitudes about eating.
• Compliment your child on their efforts, talents, accomplishments, and personal values.
• Be aware of communicating any messages that say that a person cannot dance, swim, wear shorts, enjoy a picnic, eat a doughnut etc. because one does not look a certain way or weigh a certain amount.
• Review your dreams and goals for your children, loved ones, for yourself? Do you emphasise beauty and body shape? Is it different for girls and boys, women and men in your view?
• Help people to develop interests and skills that will lead to success, personal expression, and fulfillment without emphasis on appearance.
• Learn to view advertising and the general media with some discernment. Understand the purposes and messages inherent within many advertising campaigns; the ways in which the diversity of human body types is distorted and the implication that a slender body means power, success and sexiness.
• Monitor your child’s television viewing and discuss the media images presented to help them develop a critical awareness of the implicit messages.
• Allow your child to have some choices about food and make sure that plenty of healthy nutritious food is available.
• Do not endorse or encourage dieting under any circumstances.
• Keep the lines of communication open.
• Decode ‘I feel fat’ statements. Often body disparaging talk is code for other things e.g. ‘I don’t fit in’, ‘I feel uncertain’, ‘I’m sad’.
• Avoid labelling food as ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Food is not a moral issue. Consider instead ‘sometimes’ and ‘everyday’ foods.
• Role model eating and enjoying nutritious, delicious and celebratory foods.
• Be aware of using food as a punishment or reward.
• Encourage your children to listen to their bodies to understand when they are hungry and when they are full.
• Encourage enjoyable and sustainable activity.
• Caring and respectful touch is extremely important for healthy emotional and physical development.
• Be aware of the harmful effects of the pressure of expectations on children to succeed.
• Avoid viewing eating issues as ‘a woman’s problem’; eating issues impact on everybody and we can all be part of creating the solutions.