Pop culture makes a strong connection between appearance and value. If you’re attractive, you’re valuable. If you’re unattractive, you’re not. Pop culture also sets very clear (and often unattainable) rules about what “attractive” is.

In a July 7 article in the Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle, Wanda Repke advised parents to take steps to lessen the impact of these unrealisitic cultural value judgments on their children's health and self-image:

"While it's fashionable to blame the media for these self-defeating attitudes, parents often contribute as well. When was the last time you said something positive or negative about your own body? Have you said something negative a lot more recently than you said something positive? ...

To begin to change your family's body image, start with yourself. Focus on what your body does well, not where it is deficient. Instead of always saying bad things about your body, make positive statements such as, "my body feels great after taking a walk" or "my skin looks so much better when I get enough sleep."
 

Labels: self-esteem, self-image_issues, parents

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton