Positive Body Image in Teenagers

Teenagers may begin to think about their body shape and compare themselves to their peers and people they see on social media. Sometimes this can lead to negative feelings about themselves and changes in the way they feel about food.

It can be helpful to:

• Think about how you talk about weight and shape within the family – try to model talking positively about appearance regardless of people’s weight or shape.
• Praise family members on qualities other than physical appearance.
• Have open conversations about social media images and that they don’t reflect real life.
• Focus on the nutritional value of food rather than how many calories it contains. 
• Don’t categorise foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
• Get the whole family to eat a balanced diet and do a healthy amount of exercise.

Useful links and resources on body image

• How can we protect, promote, and maintain body image? | Mental Health Foundation - Useful information, advice and support on positive body image. 
• Healthy social media report | Mental Health Foundation- A report on personal experiences of social media and strategies for building a positive relationship between social media use and body image.
• Body image | YoungMinds - Information and advice on body image in teenagers. 
• Mental Health Hub - Our mental health and wellbeing hub contains useful information and resources to help you access the range of support that you may need.