Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate achievements by women and inspire the generation of girls that follows. Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1909 when it was a National Woman’s Day. Today is a great day to think about nurturing a healthy body image in young girls. Whether you are a teacher, coach, mentor, or parent, every adult woman can make a difference in the lives of young girls.
One way to create an environment that promotes positive body image is to declare a Fat Talk Free Week. All of us can be role models of health for the children in our lives. While friends may influence kids more than we can, it is important to know that how much your kids eat is influenced by who they are with. To teach kids to have a positive body image, we must first learn to be confident in ourselves.
Mothers need to know just how their attitudes, choices, and words influence their daughters’ feelings about dieting. Parents also need to know how to talk to their teens about health, even though for many parents talking about weight is even more difficult than talking about sex with their kids.
For adults concerned that a young girl in his or her life, you may want to learn how to recognize signs of an eating disorder and these 9 signs of an eating disorder. While treating an eating disorder often requires a team of professionals, parents and supportive adults can help by reading 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder.
Obesity is another dangerous health and weight issue for teens. Healthy options to help teens lose weight include yoga for teens and therapy which has been shown to help teen girls reduce their BMI. Diet pills are not a healthy option, so you will want to help teen girls avoid diet pills.
The media may be filled with images that can be detrimental to body image and self esteem, so it is important to find other healthy role models to encourage a positive body image.
Check out what these big names are saying and doing to promote health and positive body image.