In May 2019, the Mental Health Foundation held its annual Mental Health Awareness Week. This year their theme is body image.

Body image issues have affected the majority of us at one time or another. We have all had those days, weeks, months where we would rather not be seen in public, not to mention the dread of the beach come summer time.

Going through our teenage years and into adulthood, many of us learn how to take a hold of these invasive thoughts and become more comfortable with our bodies, whether through exercise, diet or pure acceptance. However this is not the case for everyone, and body image issues are now beginning at an earlier age and are becoming more ingrained.

The short answer is yes. Recent research has indicated that the age at which young people are exposed to and affected by body image issues is decreasing.

In 2016, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) published research that found 24% of childcare professionals in England and Wales “have reported seeing kids as young as 3 to 5 years old express unhappiness about their own appearance or their own bodies.”

This percentage increased to 47% in the 6 to 10 age range. Worryingly, very young children are becoming aware of their bodies and comparing their own image to their peers.

The sharp increase in children experiencing anxiety about their appearance as they reach the age of 10 is very stark. As children develop, their bodies change rapidly and these changes may exacerbate such anxieties.

Primary schools play a vital role in trying to alleviate concerns children have about their bodies.

In a world of wall-to-wall media, it is becoming increasingly difficult to police what children are exposed to. You only have to spend a short while on any social media platform and the majority of images and videos will show average or underweight individuals.

According to Common Sense Media, this exposure to the ‘perfect’ body shape is further compounded by traditional forms of media as “87 percent of female characters on TV that are between the ages of 10 and 17 are below the average weight.”

Parents cannot be expected to ban or block their children’s use of social media and viewing of television programmes. However, parents can try to educate their children on the fact that the people they see in posts and programmes might not always be who they proclaim to be.

We constantly see celebrities and influencers on our screens living lifestyles that cannot always be replicated in an everyday setting. They often have exposure to dieting supplements, personal trainers and, more often than not, the free time to utilise these tools.

Parents can pre-emptively inform their children that those they idolise may indeed have an unfair advantage in terms of how they appear the way they do. This time could also be used as an opportunity to expose children to the ‘wonders’ of image manipulation. There are a number of before and after Photoshop images online, like this:

So, parents and schools can attempt to pre-empt any eventual body image issues amongst their children, but what if they are showing signs they already being affected?

Body image issues amongst children can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including shyness, embarrassment, indecision, anxiety, bullying (victim & offender), and dieting. In 2015, Common Sense Media found that “by age 7, one in four kids has attempted some sort of dieting behaviour.”

As is so often the case, communication is key. Allowing children to open up about their worries can be extremely difficult, but hugely rewarding. It is important that teachers and parents create the right environment, a safe space, for such communication.

If certain behaviours are spotted in school or at home, adults should intervene and attempt to create appropriate dialogue. We have gathered the best methods and techniques from around the web to help you address body image issues.

• We should remind children that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ body
• We can set the right example as an adult: don’t talk about wanting to be more attractive, lose weight or dieting
• You can ask children to write a list of 10 things they like about themselves; not related to weight or appearance and discuss their responses
• Try to explain how images that appear on screens can be easily manipulated to expose how the people we idolise may not look how they present online
• We should avoid and discourage any associations between the words ‘fat’ and ‘bad’
• Use Caitlin Moran’s letter to her teenage daughter [link]: “Stay at peace with your body. While it’s healthy, never think of it as a problem or a failure. Pat your legs occasionally and thank them for being able to run. Put your hands on your belly and enjoy how soft and warm you are – marvel over the world turning over within.”
• Be sure to get children up to speed with the changes they should expect to experience as they grow up and the fact that the changes will be constant
• You can also try these resources:
  • Dove’s Self Esteem Project
  • Champ’s Positive Body Image Schools
• Why not get involved with Mental Health Awareness Week 2019