Teenagers, both female and male, can be deeply troubled by body image. Young bodies are experiencing a rush of hormones and experiences, which can affect weight, skin and ultimately lead to emotional problems and negative body image.
Many experts solely blame the media for unrealistic images of what a man and woman should look like. They say that this makes teenagers, and indeed adults, feel inadequate in comparison when they can never be as skinny, or don't have the same straight nose, or the same hair or big eyes. Body image, however, is a little more complicated than that.
Body image is influenced by self-esteem and self-worth. It is how you perceive your physical body, which is not based in the truth but what you see as the truth. Teenagers develop their body image from a variety sources. It is formed out of every experience they have ever had and all of the people around them: parents, role models, the media and friends. Body image is forever changing and it is sensitive to mood swings, which is why it can be such an emotional rollercoaster ride for a teenager.
Young women today see far more images of outstanding beautiful women than older generations. Cosmetically-enhanced and airbrushed beauties in the media can undoubtedly contribute to the feelings of inadequacy when a teenager fails to meet with impossible perfection. Teens don't take into account how many cosmetic surgery procedures famously beautiful people may have had or how their photos are enhanced.
Weight gain is probably the biggest concern for teenage girls, which is why this is the most vulnerable time in a young woman's life for eating disorders. The emotional time spent as a teenager worrying about body image may well give rise to overeating too. This can create a vicious circle of despair: they overeat because they are unhappy about their body image and are unhappy because they are overweight.
Happily, young people are now being encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles at school and at home. It is important, however, that teenagers know the difference between a healthy diet and strict dieting to lose weight. When they see their parents on faddy diets, they may associate this with being healthy. In a young and vulnerable mind, diets can lead to excessive obsession with food and possibly eating disorders.
The best advice for any parent with an overweight teenager who is suffering with a negative body image is to encourage consumption of a variety of nutritious foods, including fruits and vegetables. If they are not doing so already, taking up a sport or leisure activity will help them feel better about their body without obsessing about shortcut diets and fads, which probably won't work anyway.
Boosting a teenager's body image is not an easy task for a parent, but they can take an active role in encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Body image, as mentioned above, is gained through far more than the reflection in a mirror. It is just as important for parents to encourage a healthy dose of self-esteem in emotional and physically-changing young adults.
