When it comes to teen body image, this can be a highly sensitive area for many teens especially girls. Research is showing that teens with poor teen body image will be more likely to experience teenage depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other emotional turmoil.
Being a teen is tough, and with all of the pressures on teen body image, it can be a lot harder. Teens have bodies that are consistently changing practically each day through puberty and natural development. Girls might find they have curves and fat stores in places they didn’t previously. The teen guys might find their bodies are producing more sweat and odor then they ever have in their life. Combating these issues with poor teen body image is something parents really need to consider as their teens are getting older. Helping your teen maintain a positive body image is a great way to help them deal with those emotional issues, natural hormones and all of the other strife that simply comes with being a teen. For teens who are wondering about how to improve their self-esteem and overall teen body image, keep reading for some helpful tips!
Why Having a Good Teen Body Image is Important:
Having strong self-esteem means thinking confidently in yourself and what you accomplish in life. Everyone should do their best to find their strengths in life. The key to doing that while you are a teen is to be able to set aside your failures and keep trying until you succeed. Finding something you are good at or something you enjoy doing is a great way to add value to your life and to increase your overall teen body image. Having good self-esteem is important because it will affect how you act throughout your life, the choices you make and the person you become. Statistics indicate that teens with a higher teen body image will be most likely to succeed post high school. This is an important path to take when you are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. Doing something you enjoy is going to increase your likelihood of being good at it and it will make it so you really want to succeed and therefore try harder. Maintaining that strong teen body image is more than just liking how you look on the outside. Increasing your self-esteem is going to transcend to the rest of your mentality as well making you happier about your appearance.
Tips on How to Improve Teen Body Image:
However, this is easier said than done especially when you are a teen and just getting used to all of the changes that are happening to your body. That is why it is important to consider a few tips to help you improve your teen body image. First, it is important to maintain a proper diet and exercise routine. As you become an adult, proper nutrition and a healthy amount of exercise and activity for your body is good health not just because it will help you look better physically, but because it is better for the functioning of your body internally as well as externally. Exercise does not have to be hard or paint staking. There are plenty of ways to have fun while still participating in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Go on a walk, ride your bike, play a sport, go swimming, go on a hike, dance or even hit the gym if that is what you feel like doing. Make sure your exercise routine is something fun that you enjoy and you will be more likely to stick to it. Eat healthy foods as well because that keeps your body from gaining extra pounds and keeps your insides working strong and healthy. However, there has to be a balance to good exercise and eating. Eating too little just because you think that will help keep weight off is not healthy. It is also not healthy to over extend yourself as far as working out goes. Simply be active each day and keep your metabolism up to continue looking and feeling healthy.
Aside from working out, there are other things you can do to keep your teen body image high. One thing you can do is avoid those negative influences. Don’t read magazines that focus so much on the “idea” body image because it is just not real or attainable for most women. Don’t let others drag you down. Focus on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. There are many ways to continue striving for a good body image. Don’t focus too much on it. Putting too much attention on how you look is only going to make you more discouraged. If you really feel like you have a weight problem, you should make an appointment with your doctor or a nutritionist to get a good idea of what you should be eating and possible exercise ideas. Having a healthy teen body image is the best way to strive toward a successful future.
Sources: kidshealth.org, cnn.com