| Everywhere your teenagers look these days they see | | | | being obsessive about your weight and exercising |
| images of beautiful and perfect men and women and | | | | three times a day and preparing special meals of |
| it can be very difficult for them to feel good about | | | | carrot juice and vitamin pills then he will want to do the |
| themselves sometimes. Of course what they do not | | | | same thing. This means that you need to let your child |
| realize is that the majority of these people spend | | | | see you following a sensible and healthy routine which |
| hours every day working out with their personal trainer | | | | he can mimic and, if necessary, keep the vitamins and |
| and sitting with their beautician or have had plastic | | | | supplements in the bathroom cabinet and take them |
| surgery of one description or another. And, even when | | | | when he is not around to see you doing so. |
| this is not the case, many of the images we see have | | | | You will notice that when talking about your child here I |
| been digitally enhanced to present the very best | | | | have so far used the word 'he'. Many parents believe |
| possible appearance. | | | | that the problem of image is very much confined to |
| Nonetheless, many teens still find themselves feeling | | | | girls but this is far from true these days. Certainly girls |
| inadequate and concerned about their bodies and this | | | | are extremely conscious of their image, but so too |
| means that parents can play an important role in | | | | nowadays are most boys. In fact, the problem can |
| helping them to develop pride in themselves and their | | | | often be harder to deal with in boys because they can |
| bodies. | | | | become so obsessed with their body image that they |
| The first thing you need to be aware of is that your | | | | will overdo things and perhaps even turn to such things |
| child will hear every word you say and knowing your | | | | as steroids to help them to build muscles. This of |
| true opinion may do more harm than good. For | | | | course is something which you need to keep an eye |
| example, if your child is overweight then you should be | | | | on so that they follow a healthy lifestyle and do not go |
| very careful not to mention this directly. This means | | | | overboard. |
| that if the problem is getting your child to lose some | | | | It is not always easy to help your teenagers to |
| weight, then encouraging him to take exercise to get fit | | | | develop a good image of themselves and their bodies, |
| and build muscle and accompanying this with a body | | | | but if you listen to them and watch what you say and |
| building diet is the answer, rather than suggesting an | | | | do you can do a great deal by way of example to |
| exercise and diet program to lose weight. | | | | keep them on the right track to developing into happy |
| The second thing to be aware of is that your child will | | | | and self-confident adults. |
| also see everything that you do and if he sees you | | | | |