As if junior high and high school didn’t bring enough challenges — getting good grades, preparing for college and making time for extracurricular activities, to name a few — during the teen years, a child’s body undergoes enormous change.
This unfamiliar territory, coupled with the desire to fit in, can bring about body image issues even for seemingly confident teens. It’s important for parents to instill a healthy respect for their bodies and to keep an eye out for unhealthy behaviors when it comes to eating and weight.
“Teens struggle with self-esteem and body image when puberty begins because it’s a time when the body goes through many changes,” says Dr. Lydia Cook, associate medical director for HealthSpan Physicians. “Teens want to feel accepted by their friends and they compare themselves with others; this can be a difficult time because everyone grows and develops differently. Teens are sensitive to other people’s comments, and negative comments and hurtful teasing can affect body image and self-esteem.”
Christina Rummell, a psychologist in the Bariatric Care Center at Summa Health System, adds teens may evaluate their own bodies against unrealistic social or media standards and feel that they do not measure up.
“This is also a time when peer-to-peer teasing is at its worst,” she says. “Teens may see a classmate being teased for physical characteristics and fear it may happen to them. They shine a spotlight on any perceived appearance flaw, no matter how slight, and mistakenly believe others are paying the same level of attention.”
Building Confidence
From the day their children are born, parents should begin serving as role models when it comes to their own body acceptance, healthy eating attitudes and behaviors, according to Dr. Ellen Rome, head of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Adolescent Medicine.
“Parents can provide an environment where it’s easy for teens to reach for healthy food choices,” she says. “They also can focus less on weight and more on overall health and behaviors, creating an environment where teens can talk and parents can actively listen.”
Rummell adds that parents can help create a positive body image by not treating the human body, its processes (such as menstruation), the sex organs or sexuality as something to be shameful about.
“Use correct terms for body parts, rather than euphemisms like ‘down there’ or ‘lady parts,” which unconsciously communicate that these parts are not to be spoken of and should evoke discomfort,” she explains. “Use neutral words when discussing body shapes and sizes. Avoid words like ‘fat,’ ‘chubby’ or ‘scrawny’ and choose less emotionally charged words like ‘curvy,’ ‘full-figured’ or ‘lean.’”
Watch for Warning Signs
While it’s normal for teens to be concerned about their appearance, parents should be on the lookout for signs of deeper troubles, including eating disorders or depression.
Warning signs include losing interest in activities or friends, poor school performance, use of drugs, anxiety, sleep problems, a change in eating habits, becoming obsessed about appearance flaws, and developing a distorted view of their body size and shape, according to Cook.
Jennifer Dunkin, a psychologist in the Bariatric Care Center at Summa Health System, lists the following signs of eating disorders: being secretive regarding eating habits, hiding or hoarding food, avoiding meals or eating with family, a change in mood around meal times, excessive exercising, a preoccupation with nutritional information or calorie counting, going to the bathroom consistently after meal times, significant or visible weight loss, and loss of menstruation in girls.
“Increased intensity and duration of (depression) symptoms indicate a problem beyond that of normal behavior fluctuations,” Dunkin adds.
If you suspect there is a problem, don’t hesitate to seek professional help, Rome says, “If school, a peer or a family member expresses concern, parents and pediatricians should take this concern seriously. Eating disorders are easiest to treat when detected early. Adolescent medicine experts have long counseled that concern about eating attitudes and behaviors can be a harbinger of a current or future problem. If you feel your pediatrician is not taking these concerns seriously, trust your judgment and seek an expert opinion.
