Recently I went to my cousin’s 10th birthday party. It was great, colourful and the room was buzzing with noise. They all went to the same school and were in the same grade. But, when the cake came around, none of them wanted a piece, making excuses such as “I’m on a diet from cake” or “I’m not eating icing today”.
I was baffled and concerned. What was making these beautiful young girls turn down cake, and since when have 10-year-olds dieted?? It was plain to see that these young girls were already concerned with what they were eating at such a young age. It was a real eye-opener.
By Loveena Guilford, founder of The Body Gossip Project.
How to spot erosion of positive body image:
Is your child focusing on diets, calorie counting, or weighing themself excessively out of the blue?
Is he/she ‘body bashing’ or engaging in negative talk about him or herself – eg. “I’m ugly”, or “I’m fat”? Or saying things like “I’m trying to look like xx (celebrity)”, “I need to lose weight to fit into that dress”.
Does your child not want to go to social events or things that they used to enjoy?
Has your child lost weight rapidly?
As a body image expert, I believe that self love and the building of positive body image starts at home and starts with us. How we perceive ourselves is important, and what we portray or the messages that we send our children can have a lasting impact on their lives.
Here are some tips to instill positive body image in your child.
Tips:
Loving your own body first – To get the message across to your kids about positive body image, you need to first start with yourself. Addressing your own attitude towards your own body image is a must. Avoid negative criticism of yourself and what you see in the mirror.
Healthy eating and appropriate exercise – This is something that can be done by the whole family. Create a culture where you say no to unhealthy diets and excessive exercise.
Instilling in them a love for the way they look – ‘Body boosters’ can help your children realise that they are beautiful just the way they are. Whether your teenager needs to hear it from you or see it written around the house, it is important that the message gets across to them. Simple messages such as “Honey, you look beautiful today” can go a long way.
Support them by opening space for them to talk about how they feel – If you teenager feels comfortable that they have an open space to talk about how they feel, they are likely to talk about their struggles with body image.
Through the statewide rollout of The Body Gossip Project from May 2013, Loveena Guilford hopes to educate school-aged children while their self image is still forming and to help them gain confidence and positive self-esteem.
To learn more about the Body Gossip Project, visit www.loveenaguilford.com.au