Talking About Positive Body Image

Body image can impact a young person’s health, confidence and sense of self-worth, so we want youth to feel good about their body and appreciate it. As a caring adult, you can work to send positive messages by talking about body image starting at an early age. Keep the conversation age appropriate by giving children definitions, pointing out qualities and characteristics in people that are not appearance-based and helping to frame up how they define and see beauty.

Additionally, it’s important to pay attention to what you say and ensure that you’re modeling positive attitudes toward your body, exercise and food. Encourage healthy habits, but be careful not to label foods as “guilty” or “bad” or negatively comment on people’s appearances. This can be a challenge for us all, but we can take small steps to help young people create healthy habits and positive body image!

Youth are surrounded by messages about bodies and physical appearance.  Many of these messages enforce negative or unhealthy ideas about what people should look like. Thinking about how to compete with all of these messages can seem overwhelming, but there are things you can do to encourage young people to have healthy views of themselves and others.  

This article shares information about how to encourage a healthy body image and how to be a positive influence.