The media pressure is difficult enough for full-grown adults, so imagine how kids and teens, who are approaching the most vulnerable stage of their development, internalize all of that pressure. Kids don’t have the greatest decision making skills. It’s not their fault- their brains actually aren’t fully developed yet. Even teens don’t have the capabilities to fully understand the consequences of their actions.
This is why many kids resort to extreme diets in an attempt to meet physical social standards. Kids live in extremes, black and white, so moderation and balanced healthy eating isn’t usually the way kids will go. They will resort to extremes such as restricting calories, or entire food groups, from their diets in an attempt to lose weight.
Another issue with kids and dieting and unfinished brain development is they have a hard time grasping what is actually realistic in terms of weight. Many girls see Hollywood starlets that are stick thin, and think they should and can be that way, too. Different body types, heights and proportions have no baring on how your child wants to look. Remember the extremes: thinner is better.
Many girls will start dieting in groups- kind of like a game and a competition all rolled into one. There is something about females and having to one up each other, even their very best friends, and this can lead to out of control behavior. If one loses weight, the other must lose more. Thin is synonymous with popularity and beauty, and every teen girl wants to be the alpha.
In extreme cases, restrictive dieting can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, but these diseases are symptoms of deeper self loathing. Forcing the child to eat isn’t going to solve anything- you must get to the root of why they feel the need to deprive and punish themselves and their bodies, which is usually best left to a therapist. Your best bet is to do preventative damage control- and be sure your child understands all they are worth.
Research shows us that over 50 percent of young girls have been on diet by the age of 8. 8 years old, and already thinking they are not good enough. Peer pressure isn’t even an issue at that age. Take some time to think about where it could be coming from. Check yourself and your actions, and then check the media they are plugging into. You can blame TV and magazines, but at a young age, you have control of what enters and what is veiwed in your home. As they get older they will have more access to these things on their own, but if you prepare them with good self esteem and healthy knowledge they will better be able to wade their way through the unrealistic and harmful images.
