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Teen Body Issues

Being a teenager can be a difficult time in anyone's life. Not only can it be socially awkward, but it's physically awkward as well, as your body is going through major changes. It's not unusual for teenagers to feel uncomfortable with the way they look. Airbrushed images of perfect people are burned into our minds from every angle, so if you feel as though you look inferior, you're not alone.

  1. Influences

    • One question we must ask when a problem arises is how the problem got there in the first place. Teenagers are heavily influenced by a variety of role models, including their friends, parents and the media. If you're the parent of a teen who has body image issues, be aware of what you say about your own body. Don't complain about wanting to be skinnier and then expect your teen to feel comfortable with her body. It's also important to speak with your child about media images and let her know what's real. Even though the images are plentiful, the people who look like that are rare. You can't avoid thoughts and images, but you can view them from a healthier perspective.

    Self Esteem

    • If you perceive yourself in a negative light due to your body image, you'll most likely get low self esteem. Self esteem is essentially the value someone places on himself based on his own perception. Low self esteem is dire and can lead to depression in teenagers. A lot of value seems to be placed on looks, so when a teen feels like he doesn't look good, he feels he has less self worth.

    Eating Disorders

    • If a teen feels overweight, she may resort to drastic measures when trying to lose extra pounds. According to the Eating Disorder Coalition, 2.5 to 4 percent of teens have either anorexia or bulimia. Anorexia is when someone chooses to eat very little or nothing at all in order to starve into looking thinner, while bulimia is when someone forces herself to purge a meal after eating in order to lose weight. These eating disorders can cause serious long-term health effects and should not be taken lightly.

    Body Dismorphic Disorder

    • Body Dismorphic Disorder is a less well-known mental health issue caused by body image. It's defined as a condition where someone is overly obsessed with their physical appearance to the point of compulsively assessing flaws in their physical appearance that are either not noticeable or non-existent. In many cases with BDD, the teen will work in excess to cover the "flaw" and compulsively ask if it's noticeable. Although the perception of their body is most likely the cause of BDD, its symptoms are different than those related to an eating disorder.

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