While we were so glad to see the topic of body image made it to prime time TV, there were a few things in Channel 9’s recent episode of Parental Guidance on body image that we need to address.
The episode shone a light on an issue that deeply affects many families, however, some of the messages didn’t quite land in terms of what the research actually tells us about body image, food and health.
Let’s take a look at what the evidence says, and what parents can actually do to support their kids to build better body image and a shame-free relationship with food and movement.
Body image is not about “healthy eating, regular exercise and having a positive view of your body.”
Body image is how you think and feel about your body, not what you do with it. You don’t have to be 100% positive 100% of the time to have a positive view of your body—it’s just about appreciating and accepting your body, and knowing you are more than your appearance.
Feeding your kids processed foods does not equal bad parenting.
All foods have a place, and children need flexibility and joy in eating to create a positive relationship with food—not shame. Calling foods ‘good’, ‘bad’ and ‘junk’ is more unhealthy than any one meal could ever be. Labelling food this way can lead to guilt, fear around food and disordered eating behaviours.
Asking kids to critique their bodies and list what they do and don’t like about their appearance teaches them to objectify and evaluate themselves based on how they look, rather than appreciate who they are and what they can do.
This kind of focus on appearance reinforces the message that their worth is in how they look. Try asking your kids what their bodies can do for them, and affirm that they are so much more than their appearance.
Weight is influenced by many factors beyond food, including genetics, stress, sleep, medications and physical activity. Correlating “weight issues” with eating habits alone only fuels shame.
We also know that people who feel good about their bodies are more likely to engage in positive health behaviours (such as moving their bodies, eating fruits and veggies and engaging with preventative healthcare), and those who feel ashamed of their bodies engage less in these health behaviours. (Bucchianeri et al., 2013; Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006; Zhu et al., 2022)
Shaming people into ‘managing’ their weight is NOT the answer (based on actual science, not opinions!).
We want to move the conversations around bodies, food and movement towards kindness, respect and acceptance, because children thrive when we create shame-free environments that support all bodies.
Not sure where to start with helping your kids to build better body image? Download our free ‘Flip the Script’ language swaps guide and check out our suite of free body image resources for parents here.
