Friendship Cliques
Your teen's Friendship Cliques can be crucial to whether or not they develop body image issues. How your child and their friends talk about weight-management methods are directly related to your child's weight-loss efforts. This is especially true for girls in early high school (grades 9 and 10). Groups of friends that display more body image concerns, food restriction, and the use of severe weight-loss techniques also tend to talk more about weight-loss with their friends, compare their bodies more often, are teased more by their friends, and also believe that their friends are also attempting to control their weight. These different attitudes are communicated through the way they talk, clothing choice, or even exercise habits. How your child's friends impact them is not always observable on the surface. You can see how their friends talk and act around food and exercise, and from there see how they are impacting your child. Remember to be delicate if speaking with your child about their friendship choices! |
Warning Signs
If you think that your child may be developing an eating disorder, don't be afraid to gently approach them about it. Remember, you are the first line of defense for them to be healthy and happy. For more information view the video below, or look at the National Eating Disorders Association Website Parent Toolkit Here. |