If you are struggling with body image issues, you are not alone. No matter what you look like, being happy and healthy are both far more important than what you look like on the outside. For instructions to view this page in Spanish, click on en Español.
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Tips for building healthy body image
Know that lots of people feel unhappy with some part of their looks. Social media can definitely fuel those insecurities. Here are some tips we hope will help:
Accept Your Body
Nobody's perfect. Everybody wants to be liked and accepted just as they are. That's true for every BODY, too! See your body the way it is. Be less of a critic. Be more of a friend.
Don't body-shame yourself. When you make harsh comments about your own body, it hurts your self-esteem. That's true whether you say it out loud or think it to yourself. It hurts just as much as if someone else said it. Be kind. Respect yourself, even if you have things to work on.
Build a better habit. Do you have a habit of putting your body down? To break that bad habit, build a good one in its place. Tell yourself what you like instead of what you don't. Keep doing it until it is a habit.
Like Your Body
Find things to like about your looks. Maybe you like your hair, face, or hands. What about your shape, shoulders, or legs? Your eyes or your smile? Tell yourself what you like and why. If you get stuck, think of what your good friends like about how you look. Accept those things. Know that there's lots to like about you. Let yourself feel good.
Focus on what your body can DO. There's more to your body than your looks. When you play a sport, walk, run, dance, swim — that's your body in action. Your body is there for you when you stretch, reach, climb, or jump for joy. When you carry things, build things, or give someone a hug. Be amazed. Be thankful.
Be aware of your body. Don't ignore your body as you go through the day. Learn to breathe slowly and calmly as you move and stretch. Learn to tell when your body needs food or rest. Enjoy the way your body feels when you walk, run, and play.
source: Nemours Teen Health
What might causes a negative body image?
Being teased or bullied as a child for how you looked.
Being told you're ugly, too fat, or too thin or having other aspects of your appearance criticized.
Seeing images or messages in the media (including social media) that make you feel bad about how you look.
source: Office on Women’s Health
About eating disorders
Eating disorders are serious medical illnesses that does not discriminate. They affect people of all ages, races and ethnicities, and genders. The way we talk about eating disorders matters. Please click on the NIH image to learn more and to help shape the conversation around eating disorders.
Related teen topics and parent/guardian resources
Curated Gallery of Resources
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National articles
Ten. Steps to Healthy Body Image (NEDA Feeding Hope)
Six Ways to Overcome a Negative Body Image (Southern Utah University)
A Bully in Your Brain: What it's Like to Live with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (ABC News)
Recommended video to understand eating disorders
Recommended resource
About-Face means a reversal of direction, attitude, or point of view. They equip women and girls with tools to understand and resist harmful media messages that affect their self-esteem and body image.
Books
Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance by Rosie Molinary
30 Specific Strategies for Overcoming Emotional Eating by Katie McLaughlin
