Cultivating a Healthy Body Image in Kids

PsychCentral.com has some tips about sending the right message to kids in this age of waif models, weight obsession, wii fits, Skinny Bitch diets and radical stomach surgeries. Even my eight year-old son recently asked if he was "too fat" -- and he's as thin as a rail...

Tips:

• Don’t focus on appearance. Point out the importance of being healthy, not being thin. Also, make sure your kids know that their personality, talents and skills are so much more significant than physical attributes.
• Teach your kids to view media images with a critical eye. Even kid-friendly shows can promote ideal images. Eating disorder researcher Dr. Linda Smolak tells The Great Falls Tribune that parents should “Limit television viewing and watch with your children.” This way you can instantly discuss any positive or negative images both you and your child see simultaneously.
• Emphasize different body shapes; there isn’t one “ideal.”
• Become a great role model. We know kids are sponges, and they pick up on things you say, no matter how subtle. When you’re complaining about your thighs, why you shouldn’t eat that brownie or how you’ll need an extra hour in the gym to burn off that dessert, your kids are listening and starting to view food, exercise and their bodies like you do. Turn this into a good thing.
• Listen to what kids say about their bodies. Don’t ignore complaints your child makes about his/her appearance and instead discuss them. Take this as an opportunity to talk to your child about why he or she feels this way.
• Promote being active. Make exercise a fun activity—not something you do to shed calories or pounds.
• Encourage healthy eating, rather than dieting and counting calories. Don’t label foods as either “good” or “bad.” Labeling cookies as bad only makes kids that much more tempted to have them. Instead, promote moderation.

Link: Pysch Central article