How young can body image issues begin?

Infants have a general sense of their body which is why you will see them discovering their fingers or feet. By the time a child is 5 or 6 years old, they become aware of their body in relation to others. This can potentially lead to issues with body image, which is commonplace and linked to a decrease in overall quality of life, depression, anxiety and unhealthy eating habits.

Body image is a complex concept that goes beyond what you see in the mirror. Your culture, beliefs, emotions, memories and your life experiences all can impact the way you see yourself. Children are exposed to thousands of advertisements each day. Oftentimes, these ads focus on an image of idealized beauty — many of these images are digitally altered to even more unrealistic proportions.

Attitudes and comments from parents and guardians about their own bodies, their child’s body and other people also invariably affect body image. Comments like, “If you eat too much, you will get fat like X” or statements that focus solely on appearance can be significantly damaging. Parents often aren’t aware how harmful their own comments and actions toward their own body can be, including negative statements, restricting food intake, dieting to lose weight or being shameful for having an appetite for food. Take the time to reflect on your own relationship with your body.

To help foster your child’s healthy relationship with food, avoid discussing and engaging in dieting. Never encourage your child to diet, as it can increase the risk of disordered eating. Refrain from referring to foods as “good” or “bad” and instead focus on the nourishment food provides and encourage flexibility in eating patterns. Assigning moral value to foods can create an unhealthy relationship with food and can cause feelings of guilt or shame.

Here are a few other tips to help instill body confidence in your child:

• Create a safe space for your child to share feelings about their own body.
• Respect all shapes and sizes and celebrate body diversity. Talk about different aspects that make up a person.
• Avoid placing too much value on physical appearance. Be critical of societal messages and images that promote appearance ideals and encourage your child to challenge society’s narrow ideals of beauty.
• When someone makes a comment about body image or food, teach your child to respond with things like:
  • “I try not to talk about bodies because it shows respect for people who struggle with body image or who may be silently struggling with an eating disorder”
  • “Let’s talk about something else.”

Dr. Rebecca Mortland is a clinical psychologist with Advocate Children’s Hospital.

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