Body image

How body image affects mental health

Being body positive can support mental and physical health by boosting confidence and helping children and young people to develop a healthy image of themselves.

Not measuring their worth based on how they look can boost overall wellbeing, and means children and young people are more likely to attach their self-worth and self-image to their internal, rather than external, characteristics.

A negative body image or body dissatisfaction can influence a child or young person in many ways. This can include:

• lower self-esteem
• lower levels of confidence
• increased levels of anxiety
• depression or low mood
• poor self-perception
• critical self thoughts
• social isolation or withdrawal
• self-harming behaviour

Identifying the signs

It’s normal for children and young people to compare themselves to others. This is especially true as children get older - their bodies start to change, and they become more aware of societal pressure to look a certain way.

There are a few things that school staff can look out for that may suggest a child or young person has an unhealthy view of their body that could be concerning and maybe affecting the way they feel about themselves and engage in school.

Here are some signs to look out for – this includes children and young people:

• feeling overly worried about how they look
• wanting to cover up parts of their body because they feel self-conscious
• not wanting to change or take part in physical education (PE)
• being bullied for the way they look – or their peers making negative comments
• having rigid thinking patterns about what is ‘good’ vs ‘bad’
• refusing types of food because ‘it makes me fat’
• changes in their social functioning or interaction
• changes in mood
• control of eating

What schools and further education settings can do

Here are some ways that schools and further education settings can promote body positivity:

Education and training

• Train school/college staff to recognise the early signs that may suggest a pupil is struggling with body dissatisfaction or has unhealthy views of body image. This could include a persistently distorted view of their body or early signs of eating disorders.
• Staff should be aware of the language they use when talking about body size, shape and appearance with each other and pupils, to avoid reinforcing negative views of body image or stereotypes.
• Develop effective policies and practices that do not tolerate appearance-related teasing, such as body shaming, and support children and young people who are teased or bullied as a result of their appearance, body size or shape, or ethnicity.
• Negative family attitudes to body image can be passed on to children and young people. It’s helpful for schools and colleges to provide information to parents and carers on how they can positively influence their children’s feelings about their bodies.

In the classroom

• The health and wellbeing curriculum in each UK country covers mental wellbeing alongside information about healthy choices and exercise. Schools should use these lessons to help children and young people think about health rather than appearance, and celebrate their positive attributes that aren’t linked to their appearance.
• Reinforce positive body image messaging through making sure that classroom and school/college posters, pictures, books, music, toys and other materials are diverse in terms of body size, shape, height, skin colour, abilities and disabilities, etc.
• Develop children’s digital literacy skills by helping them to think critically about how people are portrayed in the media and through social media, and how images can be changed and air-brushed.
• Encourage pupils to explore the pros and cons of social media. For example, it helps them connect with their peers, but it can reinforce attitudes about how they look, and encourage them to seek and earn approval based on their appearance.
• Schools can show children and young people, through physical education, that being active is about having fun - and that exercise and being active can help to relieve stress, improve memory and boost your mood.
• Explore what it feels like to be healthy, rather than what it looks like. Encourage healthy food choices and emphasise the role of food as fuel.