How Your Body Image Influences Your Daughter's

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It might seem difficult to counteract all the unhealthy messages about body image that surround your daughter each and every day. They're at school, in her magazines, on her favorite TV shows and online. But the best way to keep your daughter's feelings about her body positive is to lead by example.

Examine your own body image and attitude, as it can directly shape your daughter's. Here are body image do's and don'ts to consider:

  • Do discuss and practice healthy eating habits, keep fruits and veggies on hand for snacking, and enjoy an indulgent dessert now and then. Your daughter will see you eating a well-rounded diet, see that enjoying a sweet treat every now and again is OK, and follow your lead.
  • Don't talk constantly about dieting, losing weight or how you absolutely can't eat a single bite of cake because it goes straight to your thighs. Your daughter will likely pick up on your insecurities and develop a few dangerous tendencies herself.
  • Do concentrate on the parts of your body you are happy with. No one's body (including that actress's) is perfect, but we each have our favorite features. It's OK to say things like, "I like my arms; they're toned and strong," or "I love my red hair; it's different from most people's." Your daughter will learn to find the things about her body that she can be proud of.
  • Don't say things like, "I wish I looked like that actress," or "I hate my (insert imperfect body part here)." Your daughter may begin to think it's acceptable to emulate super-thin female stars. Or she may scan her body to find the parts she's unhappy with.
  • Do exercise regularly and discuss the benefits of a good workout. Try exercising together. Take a walk when she gets home from school, or ride your bikes around the neighborhood on the weekend. You'll be staying fit together and forming an even tighter bond.
  • Don't obsess about exercise or work out excessively. Your daughter may begin to believe this behavior is normal or necessary to be thin.

Teens receive plenty of pressure to be thin, beautiful and perfect. But you can help your daughter develop a positive body image. Just remember, the better you feel about yourself, the more likely your daughter is to feel good about herself.

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What others are saying.

Queenlalisa, 11/7/2008 8:55:36 AM
Great article.

Linda, 11/7/2008 9:53:09 AM
Hi moms,
Take these articles seriously - my 19 year old daughter is battling bulimia, and it very difficult to watch her going through this destructive illness.

chandra, 11/7/2008 10:12:46 AM
I'm so glad you put this out there. It is sooooooo important for a mother to teach her daughter/s a health image in this world.
Thanks

Kris, 11/7/2008 11:06:53 AM
Thanks for this great reminder about the importance of how we talk to our daughters about our bodies. When mine was born, I vowed I would always see the beauty in myself, because there's a good chance that my daughter will look very much like me! If I don't like what I see in the mirror, how can she believe that I see her as beautiful? I keep reminding us both that God made us exactly the way he wanted us and that we need to make healthy choices about caring for the body he gave us!

Stephanie, 11/8/2008 8:37:04 AM
Bravo! I hope many, many mothers read, and learn from, this!

Julie, 11/8/2008 8:10:40 PM
I'm a daughter, not a mom, and a pharmacy student. Developing healthy habits now is key to a healthy lifestyle later!! Daughters watch their moms (trust me, we do!), and you will have an influence, even if she rolls her eyes and pretends to not listen.

sara 15 years old, 11/9/2008 3:26:55 PM
This is so ture. If mothers set a good example and positive atmosphere for their daughters to feel nothing but positive and good about themselves. You can see improvement in any/everything that they do. Moms should do this for real!

Dee, 11/9/2008 6:04:03 PM
I am a parent of a 2 year old. I have been obese, overweight, and thin at different times in my life and I have been ridiculed at all stages. As an adult I had to make the choice of what I could be happy with and how much dieting and/or exercising I could handle in order to maintain a certain look. The one thing I hope my daughter picks up from me is that she is beautiful no matter what her weight, shape, or body size. We all can't look like Barbie and we shouldn't want to. If our creator wanted us to be carbon copies of one another he or she would have made us that way. Instead we are a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, etc. The real challenge is accepting ourselves just the way we are and being able to let other people's negative comments just roll on by. There are people who have a mission of making others feel bad because it is the only way they can feel good about themselves. But once you see through them and what they're trying to do to you and how really miserable they are, it is a whole lot easier to shake it off like dust and just keep on going.

Lilly, 11/9/2008 7:10:23 PM
This article is great. As a mom, I noticed that I am always talking about losing weight and not happy about my body figure and I see that it has affected my daughter. She sounds just like me, although I tell her that she is not fat, that she is beautiful. And her answer - So why do you say that your fat and want to lose weight? It has been an eye opener - Thanks!

April, 11/10/2008 3:09:54 PM
This was a good article. I have noticed that my daughter talks about her weight and compares herself to her friends who are thinner. I know I haven't helped her body image, because I too am overweight and talk about my weight often. I need to acknowledge what I am doing and set a positive example for my daughter. I just hope its not too late.
Mothers, please talk to your girls!

Telisha, 11/25/2008 12:31:30 PM
I have a 3 yr old daughter, although you wouldn't think at this age they notice such comments or are old enough to know fat, skinney, etc. but even at 3yrs and just learning things they notice everything and this is the best time for them to learn, they are like sponges soaking up every thing. I have always said I will not let myself say negative things like that in front of my children, but somewhere along the line I let my guard down and reading this article has really opened my eyes about it. I hope that more people read this and apply this not only to there daughters but also to there sons, they go through the same type of things just a little differently, that is something maybe the dads could help with.

Amara, 4/30/2009 6:49:16 PM
I think a lot of girls forget that everyone not only have all kinds of body types but are also in different stages of develepment AND people forget about the weight spurt thay also forget that body types can come in and out of style.

ashe\ley, 6/23/2009 2:02:59 PM
My mom always talks about dieting , she says were both going on diets.. its just really annoying sometimes.

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