Helping Teens Develop a Positive Body Image with Pam Luk

Описание: If you have a plus-sized teen struggling with their body image or not feeling accepted, this episode is for you.

Thanks to media, advertisers, and the ever-growing weight-loss industry, we live in a society that believes the thinner the better. This has led to an increase in eating disorders for both women and men, which has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

To counter this dangerous trend, many are trying to reignite the body positive movement that was first launched in the 60’s. The goal is to shift the focus from thin as the image of “health” to the acceptance and celebration of all sizes and weights. But we still have a long way to go!

In this episode I’m joined by Pam Luk, the founder of Ember & Ace, an athletic wear brand exclusively for plus size kids (PSKs). Pam and I discuss:
The impact of today’s thin culture on our kids
How to help children of all shapes and sizes develop a positive body image
How to support and advocate for our children

Key Takeaways
US is steeped in diet culture. We have a lot of work to do to understand where bias is coming from.
You can’t understand someone’s health just by looking at them. Size does not reflect health, lifestyle, or story.
Need to stop commenting on individual bodies.
There are social media influencers that represent diverse body types. Normalize something different by curating different content in your feeds.
How you talk about your own body and other people’s bodies strongly influences how your children view their own body. Be aware of when you talk about bodies in a negative way.
We need to redefine how we view health.
Plus-sized kids get discouraged from joining the sports and activities that would help them become more socially engaged because of how they are treated and the lack of proper clothing.
We reinforce stereotypes by shaming plus-sized kids out of the very things that would counter the stereotypes.
When we try to change our children to better fit in and protect them from being bullied, we become the bully.
Shift the conversation to focus on what makes you feel good, strong, healthy?
Buy clothes that make you feel comfortable and good in your body.
Rather than trying to change our kids to be more confident, help them feel good about who they are right now and that will build confidence.
What is considered beautiful changes over time and across countries.
First and foremost, must come from a place of compassion.

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