Creating A Healthy Body Image

In today’s world thin is in. Yet for many children and adults being model thin is just not possible because there are many different body types. As a teenager my sister always weighed twenty pounds less than me. As a result I often felt fat. When I went to college
I was surprised to find that my roommates thought I was thin. Now that I look back I realize that I was never fat. In fact according to science I was at the ideal weight for my height. I have wider shoulders and hips than my sister. I was also more endowed in other areas. As a result I weighed more.

As a parent our own insecurities associated with bad body image can be reflected to our children. I know I have been guilty of complaining that I am too fat, after having three kids
I weigh more than I used to. I also say that I shouldn’t eat something because of the
calories or that I should exercise more. I have also tried different diets. But when my son says something like, “Does this cereal have lots of fat, mom? Because if so I probably shouldn’t eat it.” It hits me that I am projecting my insecurities onto my son, who if anything is on the thin side. Now I try not to comment on my weight in front of my children. I am trying to accept myself and be happy with the way I look.

For children their parents are the center of their universe. If their parents are insecure and unhappy with themselves then this influences their own security and self-esteem. A child may believe that if their parent isn’t happy with their body then they shouldn’t be happy with their body either. They will also begin to place an inordinate amount of focus on weight and looks, which we all know are not the most important thing. I would much rather my child is beautiful inside than out.

In the modeling and acting industry there is a strong emphasis on being thin so as a parent is important that you don’t place too much emphasis on weight. When I was teaching sixth grade I had two thin girls that felt too fat and had very poor body images. As a result they stopped eating lunch. They also cut themselves. They had an image in their head of the ideal body created by the media. But not everyone in the industry is thin. Most agencies want a child that looks healthy not skinny.

But being overweight is not healthy and can cause serious problems like diabetes. So it is important that you work on keeping the family healthy by buying and serving healthy foods. Model good exercise behavior and encourage your children to exercise as well.

Remember your children are watching you so help your child create a positive and a healthy body image and feel good about themselves.