Building a positive relationship with food and your body

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Parents and Carers – Body Image and Normal Eating

Session 1

Introduction to Body Image

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WELCOME
TO MODULE 1

Welcome to Module 1 for Parents and Carers! In this module we will focus on normal eating, strategies and provide you with information that we hope will help you in supporting young people with disordered eating.

Support young people

Manage expectations

Learn support strategies

Download sessions once complete

Brought to you by

East London
NHS Foundation
Trust

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

- NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/

- East London
NHS Foundation
Trust

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/

Parents and Carers – Body Image and Normal Eating Introdution

Watch the video

Body image is not a “vanity thing”

How we think of our bodies inside our minds

What is Body Image?

Changing your body does not necessarily
change your body image!

Body image is the way we think and feel about the way our body looks and functions, and the way we behave and treat our bodies. Its about how we evaluate our appearance, and how we relate to our bodies more broadly.

We can’t always see the extent of somebody’s body image struggles. It can be linked to so many aspects of oneself, as the body image iceberg shows!

Body image is the way you...

What is negative body image?

Young people with negative body image struggle to feel good about their body or appearance

Poor body image can impact on young people's self-image and contribute to low self-esteem

Many things can contribute
to negative body image

01

Evaluate your appearance

02

Think and feel about the way
your body looks and functions

03

Behave, treat and
relate to your body

Body image and disordered eating

Body dissatisfaction may be a risk factor or symptom of disordered eating

Risk Factor

Negative body image may lead
to dieting or disordered eating

Symptom

Negative body image tends to be prominent in those experiencing disordered eating or diagnosed with an eating disorder because higher value is placed on body shape and weight when determining self-worth

What does negative body image mean to young people?

Thinking that how I look matters more than my health

Worrying that my friends are negatively judging my appearance

Feeling like my worth is based on how others see me

Feeling uncomfortable in my own skin

Feeling like there is something wrong with my body

Being constantly aware of what might be wrong with my appearance

Being very critical towards my body

What does positive body image mean to young people?

Being happy with how your
body actually is

Not letting your appearance rule your life

Recognising that who you are as a person is more important than how you look

Believing how healthy your body is to be more important than how it looks

Feeling comfortable with your body

Realising that the perfect body does not exist

Accepting your body for how it is

Positive Body Image vs Poor Body Image

Their appearance does not define their value as a person
Accepting their body regardless of whether it meets societal beauty standards
Feeling connected to their body and being able to listen to it more
Feelings of gratitude towards their body
Does not mean being vain/showing off. Vain = happy if meeting ideals of beauty

Dissatisfied with appearance
Being obsessive and preoccupied with their appearance
Worrying about how they look and are perceived
Having low self-esteem

Negative Positive

Building a positive body image
isn’t about changing how you look

It’s about changing how you think about how you look and your behaviours as a result.

You can encourage your child to make a choice to start thinking in a more accepting way towards their body.

Support them to adopt behaviours that foster positive body image.

You can remind them that they can choose to change the way they respond to appearance-related situations. Encourage more accepting and realistic thoughts.Over time, doing so will help yield more positive feelings towards their body.

Myths & Misconceptions

There are many myths about body image, these can be triggering and maintain your young person's negative body image thoughts. Let's review some common misconceptions...

Body image is a "vanity thing"

Vanity is feeling happy if you're meeting society’s beauty standards. Positive body image is accepting your body regardless.

Having positive body image is showing off

Actually, body image is linked to many different factors including self- worth, identity and sense of belonging.

Body image changes if your body does

Body image runs on a continuum and can change depending on the time & situation. Because body image is influenced by so many factors, it won’t change just because your body does. For example, often losing weight does not lead to body satisfaction. This is because body image is linked to more than weight. It’s important to remind your young person of this so that they recognise that changing their body is not the solution to distress around body image.

Negative body image can be “fixed” by "being positive”

Body image is too complex to be ‘solved’ simply by ‘being positive’. If your young person is struggling, simply encouraging them to “be positive” may minimise and invalidate their emotional experience.

Instead, positive body image is accepting your body...

...regardless of weight, shape, or size.

Explore Body Positive Literature

...and encourage your young person to do the same

Pretty is a Lie – Nikita Gill

What if I told you the word pretty is a skin deep, 6 letter prison they put you in.

They say if you lost some weight you’d be so pretty.

If your skin was clearer, you’d be so pretty.

But what they really mean is, if only you looked like our mass produced ideal, you’d be so pretty.

Let me tell you a secret, they do not want you to know.

Nothing about you is pretty, nor will it ever be so. You see pretty is too small, and simple a word to capture the exquisitely complex human phenomenon that you are.

Every atom of you was plucked between the quiet between supernovas and stars. A carefully chosen palette of your skin, your eyes, your muscles and bones from sunsets and skies.