Insights Into Teens: Episode 145 ”Body Insecurities”

INTRO THEME]
[INTRODUCTIONS]
Insights Into Teens: Episode 145 “Body Insecurities”
My secure and open-minded co-host Madison Whalen

Summary
Teenagers often face significant pressure to meet strict, unrealistic and harmful ideals around beauty, weight, and shape. The quest for a “perfect” body or appearance can take a heavy toll on a teenager’s confidence as well as their physical and mental health. In today’s episode of Insights Into Teens we’ll talk about what you can do to help your child develop and maintain a healthy body image and self-esteem.

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[TRANSITION]

[SEGMENT 1]

What is Body Insecurity
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249190
https://bit.ly/3wTEpjQ

Body Insecurity is the product of a negative body image
Body image refers to how an individual sees their own body and how attractive they feel themselves to be
Many people have concerns about their body image.
These concerns often focus on weight, skin, hair, or the shape or size of a certain body part.
However, body image does not only stem from what we see in the mirror.
A range of beliefs, experiences, and generalizations also contribute.

Throughout history, people have given importance to the beauty of the human body.
Society, media, social media, and popular culture often shape these views, and this can affect how a person sees their own body.
However, popular standards are not always helpful.
Constant bombardment by media images can cause people to feel uncomfortable about their body, leading to distress and ill health.
It can also affect work, social life, and other aspects of life.

What is a negative body image?
A person with a negative body image feels dissatisfied with their body and their appearance.
The person may:
compare themselves with others and feel inadequate when doing so
feel ashamed or embarrassed
lack confidence
feel uncomfortable or awkward in their body
see parts of their body, such as their nose, in a distorted way
In some cases, having a negative body image can lead to the development of mental health issues, such as depression.

A person may also pursue unnecessary surgery, unsafe weight loss habits — such as crash dieting — or an inappropriate use of hormones to build muscles.
There is a strong link between eating disorders and negative body image

Some people develop Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD.
A person with BDD sees a part or all of their body in a negative way.
They may ask for cosmetic surgery to “correct” their nose size, for example, when to everyone else, it appears normal.

Where does a negative body image come from?
A body image does not develop in isolation.
Culture, family, and friends all convey positive and negative messages about the body.
The media, peers, and family members can all influence a person’s body image.
They can encourage people, even from a young age, to believe that there is an ideal body.
The image is often an unnatural one.

The fashion industry also sets an unhealthy example when they employ underweight models to display their products.
Discrimination based on race, size, ability, gender orientation, and age also plays a role.
Exposure to daily microaggressions at work and in society can cause people to feel that they do not measure up or that they are somehow lacking.

Illness and accidents can also have an impact.
Skin conditions, a mastectomy for breast cancer, or a limb amputation can cause people to rethink how they appear to themselves and to others.
All of these factors can impact a person’s mental and physical well-being.

Studies have suggested that females who have greater resilience — linked to family support, gender role satisfaction, coping strategies, fitness, and well-being — are more likely to have a positive body image.
This suggests that emotional insecurity may also contribute to a negative body image.

Body disparaging conversations include “fat talk,” which refers to when people talk about how “fat” they look or feel.
These conversations can lead to further negative feelings, low mood, or negative eating patterns.

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[SEGMENT 2]

Causes of a negative body image
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/healthy-body-image/art-20044668#:~:text=Consequences%20of%20a%20negative%20body,Nutrition%20and%20growth%20issues
https://mayocl.in/3uHHJvE
Maintaining a normal and healthy body image during adolescence, a period of major physical and emotional changes, can be difficult.
Factors that might harm a teenager’s body image include:
Natural or expected weight gain and other changes caused by puberty
Peer pressure to look a certain way
Social media and other media images that promote the ideal body as fit, thin or muscular and encourage users to aspire to unrealistic or unattainable body ideals
Having a parent who’s overly concerned about his or her own weight or his or her child’s weight or appearance
Seeing material in which a teen is seen as a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than an independent, thinking person more commonly referred to as sexual objectification

What Influences Teen Body Image?
https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/teen-body-image/
https://bit.ly/3LuXT2y
Research shows that childhood and teen body image is shaped by many factors. Therefore, body image influences include the following.

Psychological makeup:
Studies show that body image dissatisfaction does not exist in a vacuum.
Thus, mental health influences body image, and vice versa.
Hence, children and teens with a negative body image are more likely to experience feelings of anxiety, depression, and lack of control.

Family environment:
Girls whose parents express concern about their weight have lower body esteem and feel less physically able.
Moreover, parents’ body image influences children.
Thus, a study looked at young children with mothers who express dissatisfaction with their bodies.
And the researchers found that these children are more likely to have a negative body image.

Peers:
In addition, peer attitudes and judgments impact teen body image.
That includes older and younger peers.
For example, one study found that fifth- and sixth-graders attending schools with older students reported more negative body image.
This was compared with same-aged girls in school with only younger students.

Larger societal and cultural norms:
Research on American teens finds that racial and ethnic backgrounds influence body-image issues.
In general, white, middle-class girls are most likely to have eating disorders.
Asian-American teens experience high rates of body dissatisfaction.
And the unrealistic “thin ideal” perpetuated by the media seems to hold less sway among African-American teens.

Celebrity images:
The negative effects of media on teenage body image are well documented.
The “Ideal to Real” body image survey found that 80 percent of teen girls compare themselves to images they see of celebrities.
Moreover, among those girls, almost half said that celebrity images make them feel dissatisfied with the way they look.

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[SEGMENT 3]

The Benefits of a Positive Teen Body Image
Young people who cultivate a more positive teen body image experience important benefits.
Positive teen body image leads to changes in several areas:

Improved self-esteem and well-being:
Feeling better about one’s body contributes to positive outlook and self-confidence.

Increased self-acceptance:
A positive body image means that teens are more accepting of their bodies and how they look.

Healthier behaviors:
Teens who experience body satisfaction are more likely to practice self-care.
That includes eating well, getting more sleep, and exercising at a healthy level.

Tips for improving body image
Here are some tips that may help a person feel more positive about their body:
Spend time with people who have a positive outlook.
Practice positive self-talk. Say,
“My arms are strong” rather than, “My arms are flabby.”
Wear comfortable clothes that look good on you.
Avoid comparing yourself with other people.
Remember that beauty is not just about appearance.
Appreciate what your body can do, such as laughing, dancing, and creating.
Be actively critical of media messages and images that make you feel as if you should be different.
Make a list of 10 things you like about yourself.
See yourself as a whole person, not an imperfect body part.
Do something nice for your body, such as getting a massage or a haircut.
Instead of spending time thinking about your body, start a hobby, become a volunteer, or do something else that makes you feel good about yourself.
Aim for a healthful lifestyle, which might include eating a varied and nutritious diet.

Signs Your Teen Has a Negative Body Image
https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/help-prevent-negative-body-image-teens
https://bit.ly/3qPMxhD
In general, there are several red flags parents should be aware of when it comes to body image and disorders.
Teens who are struggling with body image may:
cover up certain body parts
make increasing negative comments about specific body parts, including talking about surgery to change their bodies
have decreased interest in school, hanging out with friends, and other activities
spend significant time scrutinizing themselves in the mirror or refuse to look in the mirror
avoid looking at pictures of themselves or being photographed
have increased irritability or other changes in mood

Parents should also take note if their teenager abruptly cuts out certain foods from their diet they were previously eating, such as dairy, meat, or carbs, or begins paying significant attention to calories or grams of fat.
Eating disorders are often preceded by dieting.

If parents have concerns, a crucial first step is to seek out a mental health professional who has expertise in supporting teens with developing a positive body image and a healthy relationship with food and exercise.
Sometimes it might be difficult for a teen to open up to a parent, but they might trust an external source more
Parents can also turn to their doctor or a pediatrician or reach out to a nonprofit group that can provide resources.
Experts caution against over-pathologizing comments teenagers make about their bodies.
For example, if your teen says,
“I hate my stomach,” don’t jump to conclusions.
This is first and foremost an opportunity for the parent to start a conversation with their teen.
And as always, if you have concerns for your child that you don’t feel you are capable or qualified to cope with, always seek the assistance of a qualified professional.

[TRANSITION]

[CLOSE]

Closing thoughts shoutouts

[OUTRO AND CREDITS]

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00:00:01:22 – 00:00:41:16
Narrator
Insightful podcasts by informative host for insights into things, a podcast network welcome to Insights into Teens. A podcast series exploring the issues and challenges of today’s youth. Your hosts are Joseph and Madison Wayland, a father and daughter team making their way through the challenges of.

00:00:41:16 – 00:00:42:27
Narrator
The teenage years.

00:00:51:18 – 00:01:05:25
Joseph
Welcome to Insights into Teens. This is episode one 45 Body Insecurities. I am your host Joseph Whalen, and my secure and open minded co-host, Madison Whalen.

00:01:06:01 – 00:01:06:23
Madison
Hi, everyone.

00:01:06:28 – 00:01:08:03
Joseph
How are you doing today, Matty?

00:01:08:24 – 00:01:10:14
Madison
I’m doing all right. How about you?

00:01:10:15 – 00:01:16:09
Joseph
I’m doing okay. So you had a little bit of a shake up to your schedule last week, right? What happened?

00:01:17:01 – 00:01:26:02
Madison
I had gotten in contact with a student who had contracted COVID. So out of caution, you decided to quarantine me for five days.

00:01:26:02 – 00:01:30:12
Joseph
And today was your first day back in school, right? Yep. How’d that go?

00:01:31:18 – 00:01:32:25
Madison
Fine. For the most part.

00:01:33:14 – 00:01:35:02
Joseph
Of until seventh period, right?

00:01:35:05 – 00:01:41:20
Madison
Yes. Seventh period was when I started losing my sanity and realizing that I didn’t really like being back all that much.

00:01:41:21 – 00:01:48:01
Joseph
Well, yes, it’s. It’s. You don’t realize you just like people until you’re around a lot of people that are annoying, right?

00:01:48:06 – 00:01:53:03
Madison
Yeah. But like that even before they felt, like, way more annoying this time.

00:01:53:04 – 00:02:28:09
Joseph
So you’ll get used to it, I’m sure. So. But anyway, tonight, we’re talking about body insecurities. Teenagers often face significant pressure to meet strict, unrealistic and harmful ideals around beauty, weight and shape. The quest for a, quote, perfect body or appearance can take a heavy toll on a teenager’s confidence. Whatsoever. We have a cat. Wonderful. The quest for a perfect body or appearance can take a heavy toll on a teenager’s confidence.

00:02:28:09 – 00:02:54:02
Joseph
As well as their physical and mental health. In today’s episode of Insights into Teens, we’ll talk about what you can do to help your child develop and maintain a healthy body image and self-esteem. Before we do that, though, I would, as usual, invite our listening and viewing audience to subscribe to the podcast. You can find audio versions of this podcast listed as insights into teens.

00:02:54:19 – 00:03:21:22
Joseph
You can also find video and audio versions of the podcast just listed as insights into things. And you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and pretty much anyplace you can get a podcast these days. I would also invite you to reach out to us. Give us your feedback, give us your show suggests You can email us at comments and insights into things dot com.

00:03:22:15 – 00:03:44:05
Joseph
You can find us on Twitter and insights underscore things. You can find us on Facebook at Facebook dot com slash Insights into Things podcast. We’re also on Instagram at Instagram.com Slash Insights into Things or you can find links to all these and more on our official website at Insights into Things dot com. Are we ready?

00:03:44:11 – 00:03:45:13
Madison
Yes, we are.

00:03:45:29 – 00:03:46:20
Joseph
Here we go.

00:03:52:05 – 00:04:22:18
Joseph
So what is body insecurity? This definition comes to us from medical news Today.com. They say body insecurity is the product of a negative body image. Body image refers to how an individual sees their own body and how attractive they feel themselves to be. Many people have concerns about their body image. These concerns often focus on weight, skin, hair, or the shape or size of a certain body part.

00:04:23:20 – 00:04:50:08
Joseph
However, body image does not only stem from what we see in the mirror. A range of beliefs, experiences and generalizations also contribute. Throughout history, people have given importance to the beauty of the human body. Society, media and social media, as well as popular culture often shape these views, and this can affect how a person sees their own body.

00:04:51:10 – 00:05:24:23
Joseph
However, popular standards are not always helpful. Constant bombardment by media images can cause people to feel uncomfortable about their body leading to distress and ill health. It can also affect work, social life and other aspects of life. So before we go on, let me let me just ask you, have you ever experienced negative body images or do you feel a certain societal pressure to look a certain way?

00:05:25:14 – 00:06:05:00
Madison
I mean, yeah, I think probably most people have probably felt that way. I’ve definitely noticed that society has its like use of what the perfect male and female body is and like I guess it’s like getting actual like research on this made me realize that that kind of body is incredibly unrealistic. And I guess it helped me to like not have as hard of body of negative body image as I know most people probably have.

00:06:05:00 – 00:06:21:19
Madison
But I still I still have like issues with my own body. But like at the same time, I know like I shouldn’t really be comparing myself to what the media says is beautiful. I kind of just unanimously accept the fact that I’m not going to be like that.

00:06:22:16 – 00:06:58:24
Joseph
Yeah. You know, it’s funny. I think once people realize how unrealistic and how unobtainable this idealistic body image is, once you understand that it’s just a fiction, it makes it a little bit easier to accept yourself for who you are and not force you to try to live up to this unrealistic means. I really think, you know, and of course, coming from somebody my size, it’s hard to kind of take this for the grants solve, but I think if you are happy and healthy, that’s really the most important thing.

00:06:59:11 – 00:07:22:05
Joseph
I think living for someone else, whether it’s body image or how you act or what you do in life, Any time that you live your life for somebody else, it’s probably not the healthiest type of attitude, nor is it the healthiest type of relationship. If you’re altering yourself or your body to please somebody else.

00:07:22:09 – 00:07:22:20
Madison
Yeah.

00:07:23:19 – 00:07:25:19
Joseph
So what is negative body image?

00:07:26:03 – 00:07:50:13
Madison
So a person with negative body image feels dissatisfied with their body and their appearance. The person may compare themselves with others and feel inadequate when doing so. Feel ashamed or embarrassed like confidence, feel uncomfortable or awkward in their body, see parts of their body such as their nose and started way. And in some cases, having a negative body image can lead to the development of mental health issues like depression.

00:07:51:13 – 00:08:16:24
Madison
A person may also pursue unnecessary surgery, unsafe with loss. Have we loss habits such as crash dieting or an inappropriate use of hormones to build muscles? There’s a strong link between eating disorders and negative body image Some people develop body dysmorphic disorder or BDD. A person with BDD sees a part or all of their body in a negative way.

00:08:17:10 – 00:08:25:00
Madison
They may ask for cosmetic surgery to correct their nose size, for example, when when anyone else appears normal.

00:08:25:15 – 00:08:42:01
Joseph
Searching Think of anybody that you know, or I’ll even extend this to any celebrities that you’re aware of who may have done cosmetic surgery to an extreme to try to change the way that they look.

00:08:43:13 – 00:09:06:23
Madison
I’m I’m not going to lie. I’m guessing that, like, I don’t entirely think there’s really too many people that come to mind. Like, I really only know like maybe one person that’s done it.

00:09:07:25 – 00:09:10:20
Joseph
Someone you know or a celebrity. Oh.

00:09:12:12 – 00:09:12:29
Madison
The thing is.

00:09:14:09 – 00:09:38:24
Joseph
Because I’ll tell you, the first one that comes to mind when I think of that question is Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson had gone through so many plastic surgeries on his face, specifically his nose, that if you look at a picture of Michael Jackson from the eighties, and one from shortly before he passed away. He looks like a kid, literally a completely different person.

00:09:39:28 – 00:10:20:00
Joseph
And I don’t I never really understood what would drive you to that. Because we’re not just talking about, you know, weight loss being where your body insecurities. There are people that have complete changes to their to their body. And a lot of times it’s it’s people as they get older, they want to have, you know, the proverbial nip and tuck here, a facelift here or, you know, get rid of the wrinkles here or liposuction here so that they can maintain that youthful look, especially when we’re talking about the entertainment industry.

00:10:20:08 – 00:10:53:14
Joseph
Mm hmm. And unfortunately, even more so women in the entertainment industry, because the entertainment industry has a tendency of typecasting women of a certain age, and it limits the roles that they can get. So these women feel compelled professionally to alter their bodies in a way to look younger and more fit in order to get a better selection of roles, even that is a body insecurity thing.

00:10:53:14 – 00:11:09:10
Joseph
But that’s a that’s an artificially created body insecurity thing by the industry. Yeah. So physically altering yourself, aside from just not liking how your body looks, is another form of that body insecurity.

00:11:09:17 – 00:11:09:27
Madison
Yeah.

00:11:11:03 – 00:11:41:11
Joseph
So where does negative body image come from? You might wonder. A body image does not develop in isolation. Culture, family, friends. They all convey positive and negative messages about the body, the media, your peers and family. Members can all influence a person’s body image. They can encourage people, even from a young age, to believe that there is an ideal body the image is often an unnatural one.

00:11:42:05 – 00:12:23:23
Joseph
The fashion industry also sets an unhealthy example when they employ underweight models to display their products. Discrimination based on race, size, ability, gender, orientation and age also play a role. Exposure to daily microaggressions at work and in society can cause people to feel that they don’t measure up or that they are somehow lacking. One of the trends that you’ve seen fairly recently in the fashion industry, as you see people in the fashion industry, modeling clothes and so forth that are not this pencil thin idea of a model.

00:12:23:23 – 00:12:38:20
Joseph
You’re seeing, you know, more curvy models coming out there, which is which is good because it’s not just skinny people that buy clothes, right? Yeah. You know, people of size and people with countries want to be able to see what these things look like on people like them.

00:12:38:25 – 00:13:02:14
Madison
You know, I guess I can kind of give an example in a way of like the age when it comes to like the fashion industry and how that’s not really being entirely represented. I remember when I was going through the pre-teen years, like it was kind of hard to find clothes. Like it was around the point where it’s like, okay, I’m not really wearing kid’s clothes.

00:13:02:14 – 00:13:23:11
Madison
But I’m also not really wearing adult clothes. And like, it was kind of hard to find clothes my size because there wasn’t really a defined tween section right? And like, I found it kind of difficult to find clothes because like, you don’t really see too many tweens advertised and clothing.

00:13:23:12 – 00:13:43:29
Joseph
Well, and also part of that problem is that your body is changing so rapidly in that in that time period as you’re going through puberty, that you’re you’re growing in spurts here and there. And what you buy today might not fit you in a week or two from now. You just don’t know. You don’t know how your body is going to develop like that.

00:13:43:29 – 00:14:00:22
Joseph
So trying to find clothes is a problem, trying to keep clothes that fit and that fit well, because what happens is you may eventually find the clothes, but they only fit well for a short period of time and then they’re not comfortable anymore, right?

00:14:00:28 – 00:14:20:11
Madison
Yeah. And like maybe if they could find, like, ways of getting, like, more accessible clothing for those sizes. Yeah, like that’s definitely something that I kind of realize. Like, that was one of the struggles of being a tween because you don’t know if you’re really wearing kid clothing or like older clothing.

00:14:20:18 – 00:14:44:24
Joseph
And that type of I wouldn’t say indecision, but that type of quandary that you, you run into can your body insecurity as well. Because you wonder, you know, in my strange is this unusual? Why is this happening to me? Why is it why is it so difficult for me to get clothes? What’s wrong with my body? And it’s it’s not that there’s anything wrong with you.

00:14:44:28 – 00:15:01:04
Joseph
It’s perfectly natural, you know, it’s just what the body goes through during that stage of development. But because of the struggles you’re running to trying to find clothes that are comfortable that you like, that feels body insecurities as well. What else fueled body insecurities.

00:15:01:24 – 00:15:06:28
Madison
Illness and accidents can also have an impact. Skin to skin conditions.

00:15:08:10 – 00:15:09:03
Joseph
Mastectomy.

00:15:09:11 – 00:15:37:25
Madison
Mastectomy or breast cancer or limb amputation. That can cause people to rethink how they appear to themselves and to others. All these factors can impact a person’s mental health and physical well-being. So those have suggested that females who have a greater resilience linked to family support or general general satisfaction, coping with stress, scoping strategies, fitness and well-being are more likely to have a positive body image.

00:15:38:08 – 00:16:00:18
Madison
This suggests that emotional insecurity may also contribute to a negative body image. Body Despair. Despairing conversations include fat talk, which refers to which refers to when people talk about how fat they look or feel. These conversations can lead to further negative feelings, low mood or negative eating patterns.

00:16:00:18 – 00:16:26:18
Joseph
Yeah, and that’s a great example of the fact that my body insecurity isn’t just something confined teens. It’s something that occurs all throughout life at different ages. And the illness and accidents impact. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of that is, you know, soldiers that that come back from active duty might have had situations where they were injured in combat.

00:16:26:29 – 00:16:46:21
Joseph
You might have scars, you might have lost limbs. And all of that causes body insecurity as well. So there’s all kinds of effects. There’s all kinds of factors that affect body insecurity. And it’s not confined to just the teenage years, right?

00:16:46:28 – 00:16:47:09
Madison
Mm hmm.

00:16:48:26 – 00:17:22:19
Joseph
Fat talk. Okay. So I’m one who tends to use self-deprecating humor to defuze situations a lot. I’m fat. I know. I’m fat. I’m okay with that. I stopped having body insecurity images a long time ago because I got sick and tired of worrying about what other people think about me. So I’m perfectly comfortable making jokes about it. For me, it’s a lot easier to make a joke about it and defuze the situation before somebody else has an opportunity to make a joke about it.

00:17:23:07 – 00:17:44:10
Joseph
Because once you say it, it’s out there and it’s it’s open. And they can’t say anything at that point in time. So for me, that’s kind of the route that I take. But it’s not that I’m obsessed over. Yes, I probably should lose weight. I should probably get in better shape, etcetera. Etcetera. You know what? At this age, I’m not going to change.

00:17:44:11 – 00:18:10:23
Joseph
I’ve accepted that. And, you know, for better or worse, that’s just the way things are. But when you do it to people who haven’t reached that, I don’t want to say enlightened point, but that we’ll say indifference. When someone hasn’t reached that level of indifference, it can have a serious mental effect on them. You know, people think of that when you start talking about things like that.

00:18:11:23 – 00:18:48:21
Joseph
And it it scars people. You know, it scarred me for a long time when people would would make jokes and stuff like that. And you kind of have to think of the effect that it’s going to have before you say something like that to someone. And it’s not just fat talk. I mean, if somebody has a, you know, an unattractive smile or, you know, an unattractive nose or their ears may be a little bit larger than then others, when you say stuff like that, like I think about, you know, when I was a kid in high school and, you know, some of the stuff, some of the jokes that I would crack because everyone else was

00:18:48:21 – 00:19:10:08
Joseph
saying, you know what it’s like. You come to a point where you realize the effect that that has on people. And if you don’t feel bad for inflicting that on someone, then I think there’s probably something wrong that you need to see some kind of professional help for, because anytime you willingly try to hurt someone like that, it’s not a good thing.

00:19:10:14 – 00:19:10:24
Madison
Yeah.

00:19:11:01 – 00:19:40:15
Joseph
And it’s important to understand that these types of things, even though you may not think that you have body insecurity, images, and you may think that it’s just a joke, that joke could have significant impact on somebody else. So it’s important to keep those types of things in mind. So let’s take a quick break. We’ll come back and we’ll talk about the causes of negative body image.

00:19:40:18 – 00:19:41:01
Madison
All righty.

00:19:41:08 – 00:19:42:02
Joseph
We’ll be right back.

00:19:50:29 – 00:20:21:05
Joseph
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00:20:21:29 – 00:20:45:14
Joseph
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00:20:54:20 – 00:21:18:13
Madison
Welcome back to Insiders. In the teens today, we’re talking about body insecurities. And now we’re going to talk about the causes of negative body image and this comes to us from Mayo Clinic, dawg. So maintaining a normal and healthy body image during adolescence hormone healthy body image during adolescence, a period of major physical and emotional changes can be difficult.

00:21:18:14 – 00:21:20:18
Madison
Okay. That was really John.

00:21:20:23 – 00:21:26:07
Joseph
You got to be kind of describe what what? You know, that part of adolescence was.

00:21:26:08 – 00:22:15:04
Madison
Yeah. Factors that might harm a teens. A teenager’s body image include natural or expected weight gain and other changes caused by puberty. Peer pressure to look a certain way. Social media and other media images that promote the ideal body as fit, thin or muscular and encourage users to aspire to unrealistic and unattainable body ideals. Having a parent who’s overly concerned about his or her own weight or his her or her child’s weight or appearance, or seeing material all in which a teen is seen as a thing for others or other sexual use rather than an independent thinking person more commonly referred to as sexual object ification.

00:22:15:21 – 00:22:44:28
Joseph
So if you think about when you were going through puberty, the 12 to 14 year range there you were having. Well, one of the things that you had were you would go through growth spurt and you’d get joint pain a lot when you went through that. That wasn’t really something that was visible to the outside. But the effect of that, you know, your legs were getting much longer, your arms were getting much longer.

00:22:45:12 – 00:23:10:23
Joseph
It took you a little while to get used to those body changes. You might have been a little bit gangly you might have been a little bit less coordinated than you were before. As you as you came into those dimensions, those refined body dimensions, And that’s one of those things that they talk about here where it’s not just the weight gain, it’s the actual physical changes that your body’s going through.

00:23:10:23 – 00:23:29:20
Joseph
That you’re learning how to use your body now. Right. How would it have made you feel if you had someone who was picking on you about that? Oh, look at the stretch. There, because she’s, you know, sprouted up four inches since the last time you saw it. Like, what effect would that have on on your mentality and your development?

00:23:30:01 – 00:23:44:11
Madison
I guess it would make me feel pretty insecure about it and like, I would try like my best to try hiding it. Like, maybe I’d be like scratching down more or like whenever I would feel the pain, I would just not mention it.

00:23:44:20 – 00:24:13:16
Joseph
Yeah. And the other thing that you run into is you have parents who are obsessive to the point of unhealthiness about body weight. You know, my brother was like this with his kids where if he saw that his daughter had a little bit of a belly on her while she was, you know, going through this evolution period, of youth, he would you know, you need to start exercising.

00:24:13:16 – 00:24:25:18
Joseph
You’re not allowed to have snacks, blah, blah, blah, this and that. And that weight gain is a natural thing because your body puts on takes on more calories and it’s going through these gross birds.

00:24:25:22 – 00:24:26:03
Madison
Yeah.

00:24:26:12 – 00:24:36:13
Joseph
And you carry that weight differently. How how did Mommy and daddy do? Did we come across as being overly concerned about that type of stuff?

00:24:36:26 – 00:25:00:25
Madison
Not really. Basically, like when I was actually me, you first brought it up because, like, I started to notice that I was kind of thin as a kid. And when I started realizing I was kind of growing a stomach, I kind of started feeling a bit insecure. But then you guys started coming out with the facts saying that Oh, your body just needs more calories.

00:25:00:25 – 00:25:31:28
Madison
And it’s kind of natural, basically, like your body needs food in order to grow, and that’s why you have more weight and it’s going to make more sense to me. And then I realized that, okay, it’s a little it’s more logical to think of it that way and related to just my overall body weight, despite the fact that there have been instances where I say, oh, well, I’m kind of I’m not really very thin or like I’m not I’m kind of I kind of have some weight to me.

00:25:31:28 – 00:25:38:00
Madison
You guys would kind of like say that, like, that’s fine. And like, neither of you would call me fat.

00:25:38:17 – 00:25:54:10
Joseph
Well, and that’s the thing, like, we really kind of trusted the guidance of your pediatrician. And you remember when you go to your pediatrician, they would give these numbers. Oh, she’s in the certain percentile. She’s in this percentile. I remember they would say stuff like that.

00:25:54:12 – 00:25:54:21
Madison
Yeah.

00:25:55:14 – 00:26:16:28
Joseph
And that’s just an average measurement you know, that’s them making sure that you’re not out of bounds of any of the expectations. And as long as each checkup you went, you were then what they expected, you weren’t coming out of that range of where you should be. There was no reason for us to be concerned because it was all normal.

00:26:17:06 – 00:26:28:17
Joseph
There’s a there’s a certain variance that happens because you do put on weight in the week comes off, and then you grow and you go through gross spurts and but it’s different for everybody.

00:26:28:25 – 00:26:29:05
Madison
Mm hmm.

00:26:29:21 – 00:26:53:25
Joseph
So there isn’t a you need to be X number of pounds by certain age or you need to be X number of pounds. Per every inch. There’s nothing like that. But what they have are kind of generalized percentiles that they drop you into. And as long as you sort of follow those patterns, then you’re doing just fine. And you always were within the acceptable parameters there.

00:26:53:25 – 00:27:12:03
Joseph
And there was nothing for us to worry about. So Mommy and I tried not to obsess over. But if there was ever anything that you had questions about or concerns about, you know, we tried to answer those concerns for you. How do you feel now? Do you have any body insecurities now that are, you know, causing you issues or anything?

00:27:12:21 – 00:27:44:06
Madison
Well, I guess I probably am not as worried about my weight anymore because, again, it’s like unrealistic knowing about the unrealistic expectation that it’s never going to happen that the media, like, proposes. And also now I’m realizing that I don’t really I’m not really there’s nothing really wrong with having a little weight to you. In fact, if you’re gonna be trapped on an island with someone who has the ideal body weight, technically, you’re more than likely going to survive longer.

00:27:44:10 – 00:27:44:25
Joseph
That is.

00:27:44:25 – 00:27:46:15
Madison
True. You actually have weight to you.

00:27:46:21 – 00:28:07:13
Joseph
That is true. And the other thing you have to keep in mind is your level of activity differs over the year. Right, over the course of the calendar year. So wintertime, you’re not going to be as active as other people. Summertime kicks in. You’re going to get much more active marching bands going to kicking. You’ll be even more active and you’ll go through this period.

00:28:07:13 – 00:28:29:08
Joseph
So the weight that you, you know, a couple of pounds you might put on over the winter, you’re going to work that all off anyway. As your as your activity patterns change and everybody’s activity patterns are going to be different. But as long as that average kind of works itself out throughout the year, then you’re perfectly fine.

00:28:29:18 – 00:28:29:26
Madison
Mm hmm.

00:28:30:07 – 00:29:10:14
Joseph
So so what influences Teen Body Image? This comes to us from Newport Academy dot com research shows that childhood and teen body image is shaped by many factors. Therefore, body image influences include the following your psychological makeup studies show that body image dissatisfaction does not exist in a vacuum. Thus, mental health influences body image and vice versa. Hence, children and teens with negative body image are more likely to experience feelings of anxiety, depression and a lack of control.

00:29:11:19 – 00:29:37:08
Joseph
You also have family environment girls whose parents express concern about their weight, have lower body esteem and feel less physically able Moreover, parents body image influences children. Thus, a study looked at young children with mothers who expressed dissatisfaction with their bodies And the researchers found that these children are more likely to have a negative body image.

00:29:38:11 – 00:30:17:02
Madison
Your peers also play a factor in addition, peer attitudes and judgment and judgment impacting body image. That includes older and younger peers. For example, one study found that fifth and sixth graders attending schools with older students reported more negative body image. This was accompanied with same aged girls in school with only with only younger students. There was also larger societal and cultural norms Research on American teens finds that racial and ethnic backgrounds influence body image issues.

00:30:17:15 – 00:30:49:04
Madison
In general, white, middle class girls are more are most likely to have who are most likely to have eating disorders. Asian American teens express high rates of body dissatisfaction And the unrealistic, thin ideal perpetuated by the media seems to hold less sway among African-American teens. And finally, you have celebrity images. The negative effects of media on teenage body image are well-documented, are well-documented.

00:30:49:16 – 00:31:07:28
Madison
The ideal for the ideal to real body image survey found that 80% of teen girls compare themselves to images they see of celebrity eyes. Moreover, among those girls, almost half said that celebrity images make them feel dissatisfied with the way they look.

00:31:08:12 – 00:31:32:02
Joseph
Now, that last bit is kind of interesting because you hear a lot of talk about celebrity body images. We talked already about the fashion industry. Are there any celebrity eyes out there that you think have an influence over your own body image that you might look at as an example of what you want to be or where you should be or anything like that?

00:31:33:18 – 00:32:00:05
Madison
I’ve tried not to really compare myself to celebrities all that much, but I have noticed that, like a lot of these female celebrities kind of press most of the female celebrities I’ve seen, especially when me and Mommy watch, like the entertainment news and such a lot of them have the traditionally ideal feminine body, as well as wearing outfits that, you know, show kind of show off those bodies.

00:32:00:05 – 00:32:31:11
Madison
And a lot of the times I’m kind of just thinking how that’s not really normal. And like I guess I can definitely see how it plays a large factor into why people, like have body image issues seeing so many celebrities with these hourglass bodies in a way. And and I probably I’m pretty sure when I was younger, I probably noticed this and kind of wished oh, I wish I kind of looked like that.

00:32:31:26 – 00:32:37:19
Madison
And obviously, at that time, I didn’t really know the fact that that was completely unrealistic.

00:32:37:25 – 00:33:08:11
Joseph
Yeah. What about your peers? But that was one of the things that I think probably as a youth I found had the most influence over most of the, I don’t know, image issues or the, you know, what you wanted to aspire to be. It was it was mostly peers that the kids were in school with. They were the ones that you kind of you know, if you were fashion conscious, you got your fashion sense from your friends.

00:33:08:11 – 00:33:32:01
Joseph
If you were body conscious, you got it from the people that you were associate. I mean, let’s face it, you get it in a locker room and you have to change for gym. You can’t help but be self-conscious of your body regardless of what it looks like at that point in time. So did your peers or do your peers play an influence over what your body image of yourself is?

00:33:32:24 – 00:33:57:23
Madison
I mean, I can definitely kind of see that like I have my own style and like I haven’t seen most of my friends don’t entirely bring up my body all that much, although there was this one instance where like my one older friend was kind of talking about like kind of presenting your wear like I want to read.

00:33:57:23 – 00:34:40:09
Madison
It’s kind of interesting. They, like have like certain ideas of how people kind of act and like At one point he was talking about how I was. So I was sitting with my other female friend who to be fair, we have pretty different styles, and they were. But my other friend was saying, like, how if I kind of had more of a demeanor similar to myself, to my one friend, I might have like I might be like more positive because it was around like it was around a time where I was kind of like not feeling too happy about the day.

00:34:40:22 – 00:35:10:11
Madison
And like, he was he was saying like, how my one friend, like, has so has a certain demeanor to her, like to wear like she’s happier with it. And like, if I was more if I was more expressive in that way, like maybe I feel happier and I don’t know, it didn’t really make me too insecure. It’s just like, okay, why should I care about that?

00:35:12:06 – 00:35:24:18
Madison
But like, it’s only been brought up a couple of times, not enough to where I really take too much notice to it and not enough to where it’s really been too insecure but I can definitely it’s the edge there right now.

00:35:24:19 – 00:35:41:14
Joseph
Well, and at the age that you’re in, it’s kind of hard not to be there, but as long as it’s not having an overriding effect or a and an uncomfortable influence, I think, you know, and it sounds like it’s not I don’t think it’s really that much of a problem.

00:35:41:23 – 00:35:42:00
Madison
Know.

00:35:42:25 – 00:35:50:27
Joseph
I think we’re going to take our last break and then we’re going to come back and talk about the benefits of positive teen body image.

00:35:50:29 – 00:35:51:10
Madison
All right.

00:35:51:16 – 00:35:52:11
Joseph
We’ll be right back.

00:36:00:29 – 00:36:16:26
Narrator
Insights into Entertainment, a podcast series taking a deeper look into entertainment and media Our husband and wife team of pop culture fanatics are exploring all things from music and movies to television and fandom.

00:36:19:06 – 00:36:55:13
Narrator
We’ll look at the interesting and obscure entertainment news of the week We’ll talk about theme park and pop culture news. We’ll give you the latest and greatest on pop culture conventions. We’ll give you a deep dove into Disney, Star Wars and much more Check out our video episodes at YouTube.com, Backslash Insights into things, our audio episodes and podcast insights into entertainment dot com or check us out on the web at insights into things dot com.

00:37:03:08 – 00:37:37:13
Madison
Welcome back. Today, we’re talking about body insecurities. And now we’re going to talk about the benefits of positive teen body image. So young people who cultivate a more positive teen body image experience, important porn benefits, positive teen body image leads to changes in several areas. This includes improved self-esteem and well-being. Feeling better about one’s, feeling better about one’s body, contributes to a positive outlook and self-confidence increase self-acceptance.

00:37:37:27 – 00:37:55:24
Madison
Positive body image means that teens are more accepting of their bodies and how they look as well as healthier behaviors. Teens who experience body satisfaction are more likely to practice self-care. That includes eating well getting more sleep and exercising at a healthy level.

00:37:56:21 – 00:38:28:06
Joseph
So here are some tips to improve your body image and these will help you feel more positive about your body. Spend some time with people who have a positive outlook. Practice positive self-talk, for things. Saying things like, My arms are strong rather than my arms are flabby. You can wear comfortable clothes that look good on you. Avoid comparing, as you said already, of weight, comparing yourselves to other people.

00:38:28:20 – 00:38:58:03
Joseph
Remember that beauty is not just about appearance. Appreciate what your body can do, such as laughing, dancing and creating. Be actively critical of media messages and images that make you feel as if you should be different. Make a list of ten things you like about yourself. See yourself as a whole person, not an imperfect body part. Do something nice for your body, such as getting yourself a massage or a haircut.

00:38:59:02 – 00:39:22:16
Joseph
Instead of spending time thinking about your body, start a hobby, become a volunteer, or do something else that makes you feel good about yourself. Aim for a healthier lifestyle, which might include eating a varied and nutritious diet. And really, the gist of all this is kind of focus on the things that are good about you. Focus on the things that you like about your body.

00:39:23:10 – 00:39:47:10
Joseph
You know, focus on what you can do. Can I exercise? Can I be more active? Can I eat better? Can I go to bed at an earlier time to get more sleep? Will that help? You know, all these things can help you improve your body image. But the overall idea here is accept yourself for who you are. Emphasize the good stuff.

00:39:47:23 – 00:40:14:05
Joseph
You’re a wonderful artist. You’re you know, you’re you’re a brilliant mind. You know, you’re topping your class in in algebra. Things like that. People are tend to fixate on the physical appearance side of things when the person is much more than just what they look like on the outside. You know, I’m a big fan of you know, beauty is on that.

00:40:14:05 – 00:40:33:02
Joseph
You can’t judge a book by its cover. Beauty is on the inside that counts. So focus on the things that are more important. Now, there are certain signs that, you know, your team might have negative body image, and it’s important to keep those in mind and be able to recognize those. Why don’t you tell us about those.

00:40:34:01 – 00:40:35:18
Madison
And these come from.

00:40:37:12 – 00:40:38:22
Joseph
And why mature parents.

00:40:38:28 – 00:41:05:13
Madison
And why I met your parents. Thank you. I didn’t know how I was going to say that, but thank you. So in general, there are several red flags. Parents should be aware of when it comes to body image and disorders. Teens who are struggling with body image may cover up, and body parts make increasingly negative comments about specific body parts, including talking about surgery to their body, to their to change.

00:41:05:13 – 00:41:43:04
Madison
Their bodies have decreased interest in school, hanging out with friends and other activities, spend significant time scrutinizing themselves in the mirror or refuse to look in the mirror avoid looking at pictures of themselves or being photographed or having increased irritability or other changes in mood. Parents should also take note if the teenager abruptly cuts out certain foods from their diet they were previously eating, such as dairy meat or carbs, or or begins paying significant attention to calories or grams of fat.

00:41:43:20 – 00:41:46:23
Madison
Eating disorders are often preceded by dieting.

00:41:47:21 – 00:42:10:27
Joseph
If parents have concerns. The crucial first step, as we always tell you, is to seek out a mental health professional who has expertize in supporting teens with developing a positive body image and a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Sometimes it might be difficult for a teen to open up to a parent, but they might trust an external source.

00:42:11:02 – 00:42:28:24
Joseph
More parents can also turn to their doctor or pediatrician or reach out to a nonprofit group that can provide resources. Experts caution against over pathologic pathologic. But I can’t say that word.

00:42:29:24 – 00:42:30:23
Madison
Just look in the notes.

00:42:30:23 – 00:42:57:22
Joseph
Yeah, just look in the notes. I should have I should have written the phonetic pronunciation out. Experts caution against comment commenting. Teenaged comments teenagers make about their body style more flustered For example, if your teen says, I hate my stomach. Don’t jump to conclusions. This is first and foremost an opportunity for the parent to start a conversation with their team.

00:42:58:28 – 00:43:21:27
Joseph
And as always, if you have concerns for your child that you don’t feel you’re capable or qualified to cope with, all we seek the assistance of a qualified professional. And I think that’s that’s kind of the safest advice that we can give here. There are signs to look for and you definitely want to be proactive about this. You don’t want to let it.

00:43:22:13 – 00:43:42:21
Joseph
You don’t want to miss the red flags, first of all. Mm hmm. And you certainly don’t want to let it go on too long because it’s one of those things that if it goes on too long and it isn’t corrected, it can cause serious health issues. So we’re going to take a very quick break. We’ll come back and we’ll get your closing thoughts.

00:43:43:03 – 00:44:19:10
Madison
Already All right. So to everyone out there, I just wanted to say that body insecurities can our art should be taken seriously and should hopefully be corrected. Now, I just wanted to also say that it’s perfectly fine if your body doesn’t fit any ideals that other people have. Most of the time, the ideal body is not at all realistic and will never be able to happen.

00:44:20:17 – 00:44:40:04
Madison
Please use some of the tips we offered and if it comes down to it, please go and seek professional help. And I guess I’m just going to give you a little bit of help. Just know that if you do have a bit more weight than someone else, just think that you’re going to be able to survive longer in Ireland without food.

00:44:40:13 – 00:44:46:02
Joseph
All right. Yay for the zombie apocalypse side. Of things. Yay! All right.

00:44:46:02 – 00:44:47:26
Madison
I think you never know. It might help.

00:44:48:05 – 00:44:55:02
Joseph
But you know what? That’s certainly a fair way to look at it, especially with today’s you know, situation. You never know.

00:44:55:05 – 00:44:55:17
Madison
Yeah.

00:44:56:07 – 00:45:28:19
Joseph
That is all we had today. Before we do go, I would once again encourage folks to subscribe to the podcast you can find audio versions of this podcast listed as insights into teens. You can also find video and audio versions of the podcast listed as insights into things. We are available on Pandora, Castro, Stitcher, Pod, being, Buzz Browne, Amazon, and any place you can get a podcast I would also encourage you to reach out to us, give us your feedback and your show suggestions.

00:45:29:09 – 00:46:02:16
Joseph
You can email us at comments and insights into things dot com we do stream five days a week on Twitch at Twitch, dot TV slash insights into things. You can find high res versions of all of our videos on YouTube. YouTube.com, slash in science and the things you can find the audio versions of this podcast on the web at podcast and insights into teens dot com Video versions can be found at podcast and insights into things dot com or you can get links to all those and much more on our official website.

00:46:03:01 – 00:46:06:19
Joseph
And insights into things dot com and you.

00:46:07:01 – 00:46:16:15
Madison
And don’t forget to check out another two podcasts, insights and Entertainment hosted by you in Miami. And in Sentinel tomorrow, our monthly podcast hosted by you and my brother Sam.

00:46:16:28 – 00:46:18:20
Joseph
And that’s it. On in the books.

00:46:18:22 – 00:46:19:14
Madison
By everyone.

00:46:19:16 – 00:46:20:03
Joseph
By.