How to model good eating and body image habits for your kids |
Raising children to have a good relationship with food and their bodies is one of the best ways to promote good self-esteem and protect them from developing disordered eating.
But this can be tricky if you struggle with eating and body image yourself. So, what should you aim for, and what should you avoid?
First, what is disordered eating?
Disordered eating describes a range of problematic behaviours and attitudes towards eating, weight and the body. It can include dieting, cutting out foods or food groups, skipping meals, fasting, binge eating or exercising excessively.
Not all disordered eating will lead to an eating disorder. But eating disorders are usually preceded by disordered eating, particularly dieting.
Concerns about eating and body image are common and can begin from a young age. Globally, 22% of children and adolescents engage in disordered eating, with higher rates among girls.
Read more: What’s the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating?
Lots of factors influence how kids feel about food and their body, including expectations from media, self-esteem and family attitudes.
Given children observe and model how parents talk about their bodies and food, it can help to model positive or neutral language and eating behaviours. Here are some tips.
1. Framing food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
Don’t talk about dieting, weight loss and “good” or “bad” food, as this can make food a moral issue. For example,........