Health Tip: Help Your Child Create a Healthy Body Image

(HealthDay News) -- A healthy body image can help a child grow into a healthy, confident adult. And parents play a big role in fostering their child's self-esteem.

The womenshealth.gov website offers these suggestions for boosting your child's self-image:

Discuss with your child the fact that weight gain, especially during puberty, can be a normal and healthy part of development.
Don't speak negatively about weight, food, body shape and size.
Encourage your child to make personal decisions about food, but offer a variety of healthy options.
Praise and compliment your child for things he or she has accomplished.
Limit your child's television time, and when it is on, watch together to encourage discussion about images in the media.
Be active in your child's school, promoting policies that protect against discrimination, bullying and a healthy approach toward weight.
Communicate openly with your child.

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HealthDay news articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. Womenshealth.gov does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories.

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womenshealth.gov
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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