How To Deal With Adolescent Negative Body Image Issues?

“Mom, do I look fat?”. You hear your teen daughter say while she is look at herself in the mirror with dissatisfaction. And, you as a mother worry about her health, diet, and weakness induced by weight loss.

It is not uncommon to see teenage girls skip meals. They cut down the portion of their diet, and follow different kinds of lifestyles. All this to keep themselves skinny just like the influencers, actresses, or models they admire or follow on social media.

Unrealistic body image is a grave issue among teenage girls. In order to gain a certain physical appearance, end up with severe biological, mental, and physical health issues.

This is so common and visible, that many of us mistakenly assume that this problem is limited to girls. After all, they are the ones who fret about perfect selfies. We watch them tucking their tummies beneath the tightest of clothes. In fact, our learners have frequently mentioned how they dislike their bodies. Here you can read 6 other frequent issues faced by Indian teens.

Boys have body image issues too

On the contrary to our belief, teenage boys are not immune to body image issues. It is less talked about and less visible. However, the number of teenage boys being affected has been increasing quietly and significantly.

In the 80s, ads and entertainment industries spread toxic masculinity through their content. Now, along with it, ad agencies, social media, and other platforms are gaining profit by creating body image issues. And, it is leading to loss of self confidence and an increase in insecurities among males.

So, to help our young boys and girls, we need to educate ourselves about the issue. As parents, we must be well equipped to provide support and guidance to our young ones.

In this article, we will cover-

What is “body image”?
What are the sources that cultivate negative body image?
How do body image issues impact teens?
How can parents/guardians help?

What exactly is “body image”?

Body image is how you see yourself or what you think about your physical self.

If you have a healthy body image, you will feel comfortable in your own skin. You will generally feel positive about your appearance. You will be the kind of person who attributes more value to thoughts and inner self compared to looks.

In case of unhealthy or negative body image,

you feel uncomfortable in your body,
you will be more conscious of what you look like and what others look like,
you constantly try to look like someone else
you believe that person’s look define their value

Talking about negative body image, researchers have found that teen boys are highly concerned about their weight, physique, and masculinity. They feel as though they don’t have enough muscles or six-pack abs, or that they aren’t tall enough.

Some adults make negative comments or express discontent towards their bodies. It severely impacts any kid who is watching them. Basically they teach these young boys and girls that there is a specific body image that is acceptable and admired.

What are the sources that cultivate negative body image issues among Teens?

Male targeted ads

Historically, ads have been defining the social norms and imposing it on its audience. They propagate the message that women with smooth and hairless skin are more beautiful. And, men with 6 pack abs, toned and muscular bodies with ample hair on their head are more attractive. Most of the time these unrealistic body expectations are transmitted to its audience very quietly. They don’t explicitly tell you to build muscles, they imply. Audiences don’t even realize what they are learning unconsciously unless they become actively critical of what they are watching. How critical do you think an average teen can be while watching a random ad or video?

Social media

Influencers, athletes, celebs, and companies are creating thousands of videos every day on different social media platforms. Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are some of the most used platforms by teenagers. Young boys follow fitness pages, and subscribe to the channels of male celebs. They post photoshopped images and manipulative videos with “perfect” male bodies. They insinuate the message that popularity and masculinity are directly proportional to the number of abs one has. However, they don’t show how much editing and manipulation goes behind those videos and images. Tens and hundreds of people are working on complex editing software to build that perfectly chiseled image.

Movies and series

How many of the main characters in most of the movies are not muscular? How many do not have six-pack abs or do not have dense hair? Remember Hrithik Roshan in War or Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, lead males in Top Gun and Avenger? All of them who attract teens have almost the same “perfect” body image. On the contrary, the funny guy, the weird guy, or any side-kick character is mostly bulky, short, or partially bald. Now, who wants to be a sidekick in their own lives?

People around them

Family and friends often comment casually on their own appearance or someone else’s. It might look harmless on the surface, but it affects your child’s perception of themselves drastically. Some adults make negative comments or express discontent towards their bodies. It severely impacts any kid who is watching them. Basically they teach these young boys and girls that there is a specific body image that is acceptable and admired. Something as small as frowning in the mirror when you are trying on clothes can have an impact. This reinforces the message that a body needs to be “perfect”. That belief is the foundation for these crucial building-block beliefs:

My body has to be perfect.

I’m not satisfied with my body.

A perfect body would make me happy.

It would earn me acceptance from others.

Perfect body would earn love and admiration, even attention.

Perfection is defined by a number on the scale or a size on a tag.

I will do anything to have a perfect body.

All these sources build an image of a perfect body in the minds of young boys. They want to look perfect, they want the girls to like them, and they want their peers to respect them. Unfortunately, through all the above-mentioned and other mediums they learn all the wrong lessons. Boys start to believe that only muscular and tall guys can get what they want. Girls conclude that only zero figure women are likable and successful.

What are teens doing to gain the body they idealize?

In order to achieve that perfect body, teens are taking steps which are not the healthiest options for them. At a young age they join gym and start following an intense workout regime. In a research, they were asked if they would use supplements to bulk up their muscles and body. 18% said yes knowing the long term harmful impact of those supplements.

They want to know how to lose weight fast. Many teens started to follow trending diet plans. And, some teens also had developed unhealthy habits of disordered eating such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

How body image issues impact young boys?

Teenagers are already going through a myriad of external and internal changes. When these changes are mixed with desire to attain the perfect body image, it creates a harmful cocktail.

Teens are often at the higher risk of seclusion and depression. One research study found that underweight boys are more likely to suffer from depression than are overweight girls.

They avoid meeting people, they engage in negative self-talk that harms their self esteem.

In a research study, it was found that there were teens who agreed to use steroids and other drugs in order to attain the “ideal body image”.

Apart from these directly linked impacts, there are indirect effects of having negative body image issues.

It impacts their performance in academic and non-academic fields
They either spend a lot of time overthinking about their looks and body
They also tend to correlate looks with having a good social life and success in life

What can parents do to help them deal with negative body image issues?

As parents, you will be the closest to see/feel any sudden change in them. It may be the change in their opinions about themselves or change in their looks or appearance. You should not brush off simple comments like “Am I too short?” or “Am I too lean for a boy?”. They need to learn to accept their bodies. To do this, they need to look at good examples. They require guidance and support. You are the one who can provide them all that. How? You can try to execute the four tips mentioned below. To learn about more ways, you can read this.

Communicate

When you become aware of their struggle in accepting themselves, use the opportunity to open conversation about body image. Talk about different kinds of bodies and how there is no one type of ideal body. Everybody is different and has different shape and size. You can remind them of having a balanced diet and active lifestyle for attaining a good healthy body. And, remind them to not get obsessed over one specific body type.

Don’t set a bad example

Children observe you very keenly. You will never know how a casual remark or a misplaced sigh can affect their mindset related to body type. When you look in the mirror and curse that extra fat, or when you appreciate only the actors who have well chiseled and muscular bodies, or when you make comments related to skin color, skin type etc, remember they are watching and listening to you very keenly. All these influence how they look at the world. More than that, it influences how your kids look at themselves

Talk about puberty

As a parent, you should openly talk about puberty, changes it brings and its temporary nature. By doing this, you help your kid more than you imagine. When they are aware of what is happening with them, they become better at anticipating the change. So, talk to them and make them aware of the changes. And, motivate them to deal with it in the way that is least harmful to their body, self-confidence and mental health.

Talk about the manipulative nature of the media

Show your son how the media create and amplify the insecurities and make money by selling them their products. Talk about how the heavily edited body images are fed in the mainstream. Women are made to desire zero figure, hairless skin, fair color, face without pores and unpatched under arms. Similarly, boys are manipulated to think less of themselves through well curated ad messaging. Recent ad implied that a boy with hairy legs cannot go to the pool. So, ask your teens to identify how social media posts, videos, ads and movies are manipulating them by showing and promoting one kind of body image. The realization itself will be the first step towards not falling into the trap of “perfect body image”.

Conclusion

Teen years make up the phase in which their world views, personalities and mindsets develop. As parents and educators, we must create physically, emotionally and mentally healthy spaces in which they can explore, learn and grow with minimal fear and insecurities.