If you’re raising a child today, you already know the pressure is real. From filtered selfies to fitness influencers, kids are surrounded by messages about how they should look—and too often, those messages are narrow, unrealistic, and damaging.
Helping kids develop a healthy body image isn’t about limiting screen time. It’s about building strong habits, promoting positive role models, and encouraging them to focus on what their bodies can do—not just how they appear.
Drs. Kari Stausmire and Kathryn McHugh, both family physicians who work closely with teens, say parents can play a powerful role in shifting the conversation.
💪 Focus on Health, Not Size
“Really emphasize that eating healthy and taking care of yourself are the most important things,” says Dr. McHugh. “Staying active, doing the best you can to control the things you can control, and really emphasizing loving the person that you are.”
That also means helping kids understand that healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes.
“One of the things that’s been really helpful for me,” says Dr. Stausmire, “is that my daughter goes to the gym and sees women of all different shapes and sizes who are lifting weights, being active, and confident. That confidence comes from what their bodies can do, not necessarily from how they look.”
🚴♀️ Encourage Movement They Enjoy
You don’t have to push sports to help your child build confidence. Whether it’s martial arts, yoga, bike riding, or dancing around the living room, finding joy in movement helps kids build self-esteem and tune in to how their bodies feel—not just how they look.
That said, it’s important to watch for signs of imbalance.
“Some girls with body image issues will excessively exercise and then under-eat,” says Dr. McHugh. “That can increase the risk for things like fractures and not getting their periods. Menstruation is actually a helpful tool to know if a child is getting enough nutrition.”
❤️ Be a Mirror for Self-Acceptance
Even young kids absorb the messages they hear at home. Avoid criticizing your own body in front of your child. Don’t frame exercise as punishment or food as guilt.
Instead, talk about strength, energy, and self-respect. Compliment effort over appearance. Model confidence—even when it’s hard.
🧠 The Big Picture
You can’t control every message your child sees—but you can shape how they see themselves. When we celebrate effort, strength, and self-care, we help our kids develop confidence that lasts far beyond what’s in the mirror.
🗨️ What to Say Instead...
Swap unhelpful comments for more affirming language:
Instead of... | Try saying... |
“I need to work off what I ate.” | “I feel better when I move my body.” |
“You’re so skinny!” | “You look strong and healthy.” |
“You don’t need to eat that.” | “Let’s choose something that gives us energy.” |
“I need to go on a diet.” | “I’m focusing on taking care of my body.” |
About Halifax Health
Halifax Health is the leading healthcare provider for Volusia and Flagler counties, offering a comprehensive range of services through a network that includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care network, psychiatric services, and a specialized cancer treatment center with multiple outreach locations. As the area’s only provider of a Level II Trauma Center, Center for Transplant Services, and a Pediatric Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by board-certified pediatricians, Halifax Health is also home to the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services. In addition, Halifax Health has collaborated with UF Health to bring over fourteen specialties to the area.
Recognized for excellence and innovation, Halifax Health consistently receives top ratings, multiple accreditations from CARF International for inpatient rehabilitation, and the prestigious Novalis Certification of Excellence for its cancer treatment center. The organization has also achieved a 3 Star Rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, is designated as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital, with high performance in heart failure, knee and hip replacement, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, heart bypass surgery and TAVR procedures. In addition to being the region's longest-standing Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach has consistently earned AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Honor Roll. With a legacy of excellence and community service since 1928, Halifax Health continues to set the standard for quality and compassionate care in the region.
