Educating kids on “looksisms”
Some troubling statistics as reported by Ruth A. Peters, Ph.D. for MSNBC.com.
According to BodyImageHealth.org, “almost half of normal-weight third- to sixth-grade girls say they want to be thinner; a third have already restricted their eating to lose weight, and 78 percent say they are very afraid of becoming fat.” How children view themselves is strongly influenced by parental body image, and often this is set by the age of six.
Dissatisfaction with body image increases as girls progress to adolescence. While 75 percent of girls 8 to 9 years old say they like the way they look, only 56 percent of girls 12 to 13 years old feel that way. One-third of girls 14 to 17 years old think they are overweight, and 60 percent are trying to lose weight.
The statistics come as part of a larger admonition by Peters to parents to educate children about “looksism” — the tendency to perceive social acceptability based upon how a person looks. And of all the looksism that exist, nothing is more prevalent than fatism, reports Marius Griffin of the Body Image Task Force. She writes:
In a study done with six-year-old children, they were shown silhouettes of different people, then asked to talk about them. The children consistently labeled a silhouette of a fat child as ‘stupid, dirty, lazy, slow, etc.,’ regardless of the body size of the child identified in the picture.
And kids aren’t alone in their prejudices. In a study where teachers were given students files to review, including grades work habits and attitudinal information as well as a student photo, teachers erroneously assumed the physically cute boys and girls to be more intelligent and socially progressive than plan or less attractive kids.
Peters goes on to give solid advice to parents on how to avoid this sort of negative thinking: Avoid the D (diet) word, teach kids healthy nutritious eating habits, bring “normal” images of real people into focus and into your lives, watch your language and behavior, encourage a varied group of friends for your children, and for yourself, etc…
Weigh in with your suggestions here or on MSNBC’s discussion board.
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