Body Image

“My father told me that everyone is made to perform different things on this earth, whether it’s to be an athlete, dancer, performer, or just to be who they are. He made me feel a lot better about my body. He gave me more confidence.”

Kemba
Words Can Work®: When Talking About Body Image

In a culture obsessed with physical appearance, it’s easy for children to put too much emphasis on how they look. Helping children achieve a healthy weight and a positive body image will have a lifelong effect on their physical and emotional health.

As the tallest, most muscular girl in her class, Kemba noticed skinny models on TV and asked her dad if she was fat. “He told me I’m not fat, I’m athletic,” Kemba says. “He said I have an ideal build for basketball, a sport I love. If I were short and slight, I couldn’t play as well.”

Boys worry too. Forty percent of 13- to 19-year-old boys surveyed said they were dissatisfied with their overall appearance.1

Teach your children that a healthy body helps them achieve their goals, and that their body type is strongly influence by genes. You can support your children’s health by teaching them to eat nutritious foods and exercise regularly.

Remember: By age 17, up to 80 percent of girls will be unhappy with their image in the mirror.2

Read Issues and Answers at wordscanwork.com for more about this topic.

1. Psychology Today
2. Harvard University

© 2006 Blake Works, Inc.

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