Teens and Body Image

According to a Harvard University study- by the time teenage girls are 17 approximately 80% of them report disliking their bodies. This is a big jump upwards from age 13. At that age 53% of American girls dislike their bodies. According to the Girls Scout Research Institute one-third of all girls have a distorted body image. They feel heavier than they actually are.

And now male teens are growing increasingly concerned about their bodies. Just listen to this: about 7% of male teenagers in 12th grade report having used steroids in order to become more muscular.

Oh dear. I think that we must pay attention to our kids and how they are thinking and feeling about their bodies. Maybe they would laugh if they knew that if Barbie was real she would fall over because she is so top heavy compared to the rest of her tiny body. And, tell the boys that if GI Joe was human he would have the largest biceps ever!