Body and weight-based bullying can happen in-person, online, between siblings or even from adults in your child’s life. Studies have shown that 50% of pre-adolescent girls and 30% of pre-adolescent boys dislike their bodies – so the last thing pre-teens need is body shaming or weight-based bullying to add fuel to that fire. Adolescent girls who experience weight-based bullying are more likely to engage in substance use. In addition to taking a serious toll on confidence and self-image, bullying can also increase the risk of developing an eating disorder. Eating disorder rates are even higher for LGBTQ+ youth. Concerningly, youth of color are less than two thirds as likely to receive access to eating disorder treatment compared to white peers. That’s why it’s so important to understand how bullying ties into body image and disordered eating, and how to intervene and support your child if it’s happening.
The Role of The Wellful in Fostering Positive Body Image for Adolescents
The Wellful is committed to providing person-centered support through nutrition therapy. Our registered dietitian, Brenna, understands the gravity of bullying and body image and how harmful it can be. We’re dedicated to creating a safe non-judgmental space for people to explore and improve their relationship with food and their bodies. The Wellful equips adults with the tools and understanding needed to support adolescents. This is especially important if bullying is part of the picture.
The Intersection of Bullying and Body Image
Bullying isn’t just an adolescent issue but when many adults look back on their own adolescence they can remember feelings of insecurity, comparison or worry relating to fitting in, their changing body or the pressures they felt during these years. When you hear that a young person in your life is experiencing body or weight-based bullying, it can be eye-opening to realize how early children absorb and regurgitate anti-fat and body shaming messaging from adults, media, and peers. This can be extremely problematic, especially during adolescence, as tweens and teens are just starting to come into their own. Bodies change during adolescence; they’re supposed to! With puberty and social pressures, the last thing kids need is the extra stress of hurtful comments from their peers.
Bullying, whether in person or online, can target an individual’s appearance. This can lead to significant body image concerns as adolescents internalize hurtful comments and judgments. They may begin to perceive their bodies through a distorted lens, hyper fixating on certain aspects of their body, appearance, weight or shape.
Understanding the Impact of Bullying on Adolescents
Body-focused bullying can encourage restrictive eating or overexercising, as they attempt to regain a sense of control over their bodies. It is essential to recognize that the impact of bullying goes beyond the immediate emotional distress; it can have long-lasting effects on their mental and emotional well-being.
Adolescents who experience bullying may isolate themselves, avoid social situations, no longer have interest in their favorite foods or even skip school to escape the torment. This isolation can further exacerbate feelings of loneliness and insecurity. If your child shares they are being bullied or shamed at school, it is an adult’s job to intervene.
Recognizing Signs of Bullying and Body Image Concerns
Adolescents may not always openly discuss these issues, which is why it’s important for adults to be observant. Adolescents who are experiencing bullying or struggling with body image issues may exhibit noticeable changes in their behavior, such as withdrawal from social activities, a change in clothing choices, increased interest in ‘healthy eating’ or exercise, questions or worry about body changes or increased body comments about themselves or others.
Notice signs of disordered eating, restriction, eating in secret, increased diet or weight talk or weight changes that could be indicative of body image concerns. It’s essential to approach these signs with sensitivity and without blame to create a safe space for adolescents to seek help and support.
If you’re looking for help on how to raise kids to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies, I encourage you to sign up for my webinar. This one-hour course will give you the tools you need to address body image and bullying concerns and identify the risk factors that come along with eating disorders as a result.
Strategies for Supporting Adolescents
Learning how to talk to kids about bullying and body image is essential. You want to create an environment that promotes open and empathetic communication. We want adolescents and teens to know they can confide in you without fear of judgment and that they can expect home to be a safe space free of weight or body shame.
- Encourage them to share their feelings and experiences and actively listen to their experience.
- Resist the urge to negate their statements.
- If your child says something like: ‘I feel fat’ or ‘my legs are too big’ resist interrupting with: “you’re not fat, you’re beautiful!”
- These statements – while attempting to be comforting – actually reinforce that fat is a ‘bad’ thing, or that fat is the opposite of beautiful –
- Instead, try to listen, and learn more about where these feelings are coming from and holding space for their concern.
- Take a deep breath, listen and ask for more information
- “Tell me more about that feeling” “Have you heard anyone else talk about their body this way?” “What does it mean to feel like your legs are too big?”
With this approach you can validate and hold space for your child and learn more about where these thoughts are coming from, how long they’ve been around and what next steps could be helpful. For instance, if pants or leggings are starting to feel too tight or a school uniform doesn’t fit right – going up a size, talking about changing bodies during puberty and finding new items that do fit comfortably could be helpful.
If you learn that another student was asking each child their weight or comparing their bodies, this could be helpful information for you to share with a teacher or adult at school. If your child is overhearing adults at school going on diets to be ‘healthier’ or no longer eating an entire food group to ‘get ready for summer’ you can discuss this with your child and let the appropriate people at school know the impact of these conversations.
Seeking Professional Help
While friends and family play vital roles in providing emotional support, mental health professionals have the expertise to address the complex psychological aspects of these challenges. Adolescents who experience severe bullying or struggle with body image issues may benefit significantly from eating disorder-informed HAES®-aligned therapy nutrition counseling.
Mental health professionals can provide adolescents with a safe and confidential space to express their feelings and concerns, and they can also support parents and family members to do the same. Therapists and dietitians can help tweens and teens work through the emotional toll of bullying and the negative impact it can have on body image, eating habits and self-esteem. They can also work on breaking down the false narratives of bodies, dieting, weight changes and puberty that can come from peers, the diet industry and about the narrow standards of beauty. Addressing these issues head on in a therapeutic setting could pave the way for a positive, supportive relationship with food and body image.
Parents and caregivers must proactively seek professional help when they observe signs of distress in adolescents and teens. Early intervention can prevent these issues from escalating and having long-term effects on mental health.
Building a Supportive Community
Communities play a significant role in shaping adolescents’ experiences and can contribute to creating a positive and inclusive environment.
Most schools have some form of an anti-bullying program but it may not specifically address body or weight-based bullying and body image. If you are interested in a presentation or education being shared with your school or community, Brenna offers talks to schools and community programs. Guidance counselors and trusted educators can provide resources and support if they see concerning behaviors or hear critical self-talk from teens.
Sometimes adolescents may suffer in silence due to fear, shame, or a lack of awareness about available support systems. Creating an environment – especially at home or with a trusted adult – where they feel safe and encouraged to express their feelings and seek help when needed is essential.
Bullying Is Wrong, Bodies Are Not Wrong
It’s not kids’ responsibility to prevent others from bullying them about their body or appearance. Bullying, weight-bias or body teasing deserves adult intervention and support for the children or teens impacted.
We live in a world where people diet, weight-bias exists, and people are treated differently for their body sizes and appearance. Children and teens will absorb this information even if it is never shared in your house – from TV shows, social media, other students, magazines, movies and adults around them. Having age-appropriate discussions with your child about the risks of dieting, where they notice body-based bullying in media and how you can both create a supportive environment at home can be healing and impactful.
Remind teens and adolescents that their body is not wrong, that you love and appreciate their body and themselves exactly as it is, that this type of bullying or shaming is wrong and how you will support them.
Get Nutrition and Body Image Support
If you’re looking to help your teens feel safe and secure in their bodies, The Wellful is here to help. Whether your kids are experiencing bullying and body image concerns or are struggling with other food related issues, we have the resources you need.
To work 1:1 with our RD, Brenna, we encourage you to contact us today. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or give us a call at 925-725-2761.
