Talking about bodies and body image with pre-teens and teenagers
Your child needs your help to sort through and understand messages about their body.
Sometimes you can help just by actively listening to how your child is feeling about the physical changes of puberty. This means really paying attention to your child’s concerns and showing that you care and are interested in what they’re saying. If your child is feeling confused, you can reassure them that the changes are a natural part of growing up.
It’s also good to talk with your child about
images on social and other media. Some images set unrealistic ideals for pre-teens and teenagers. But you can help by explaining how the images are often digitally manipulated so that people look more ‘beautiful’ than they really are.
Pre-teen and teenage body image concerns: signs to watch out for
It’s common for pre-teens and teenagers to be conscious of their bodies and want to lead a healthy lifestyle.
But there are signs that your child is focusing too much on their body, including stress and anxiety about how they look. Your child might show this by:
- criticizing their body – for example, they might say they’re fat or ugly
- continually comparing their body with others
- not wanting to leave the house because of the way they look
- not doing activities or trying new things because of the way they feel about their body
- obsessing about weight or about specific parts of their body, like their face, stomach or legs
- talking about wanting to have surgery or other cosmetic procedures
- spending a lot of time looking in the mirror or taking photos and looking for changes or imperfections
- covering their body up with loose and baggy clothes
- linking food with feelings of guilt, shame, or blame.
Negative body image: risk factors for pre-teens and teenagers
Some children are more likely than others to feel unhappy about their bodies. Pre-teens and teenagers might be more at risk of developing unhealthy body image if they:
- feel pressure from family, peers or media to fit into narrow ideas of beauty
- have a different body shape or weight from their peers
- get ideas about ‘ideal’ bodies from media images and influencers
- feel the need to be perfect
- focus too much on appearance and how others see them
- compare themselves with others
- have low self-esteem or symptoms of depression
- belong to a friendship, sport, or dance group that emphasizes 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.
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