Episode #229: Helping Kids & Teens Develop a Healthy Body Image

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My guest this week is Dr. Charlotte Markey.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today we are talking about body image and self-worth for our kids, especially those in the tween and teen years. This is an issue that is increasingly on parents’ radars, especially as we learn more about the impact of social media on body image and the increasing body image issues for kids post pandemic. It can be a tricky thing for parents and other adults to know how to best support kids in developing a healthy body image and to understand the differing needs that girls and boys may have around this. Charlotte and I will talk through current research on how younger brains are extremely impressionable, perceptions of adolescents, helpful approaches to developing a healthy body image, and how to support those that are struggling, including when professional help may be worth seeking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Charlotte Markey is a world leading expert in body image research, having studied all things body image, eating behavior and weight management for her entire adult life. She's passionate about understanding what makes us feel good about our bodies, and helping people develop a healthy body image. Charlotte loves to share her body image wisdom with others and is an experienced book author, blogger and professor at Rutgers University. She has created separate resources for girls and boys:</span> <a href="https://amzn.to/3RAq1DU" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href="https://amzn.to/3C6z3CQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Being You: The Body Image Book for Boys</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her son, daughter, husband and dog, and for fun, she likes to run, travel and read, but often spends her free time nagging her kids to b