The Mayo Clinic describes body dysmorphia as an obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance. The flaw may be minor or imagined, but the person may spend hours a day trying to fix it.
Although body dysmorphia in children usually occurs during the adolescent years, per Contemporary Pediatrics, some children as young as five-years-old have been diagnosed. According to the experts in a recent interview with HuffPost, here are some subtle signs to help you know if your child is struggling with body image and ways to intervene.
1. They isolate themselves.
“If a child becomes less social or intentionally isolates it could be an early warning sign that fear of judgement/criticism has gotten so intense, they choose to be alone,” Crystal Williams, a psychologist in California, told HuffPost in the interview.
How can parents intervene?
To determine if this rings true for your child, consider asking them open-ended questions about their reasons for avoiding a specific social event or gathering.
2. They make a radical change in their diet.
Sudden switches in the way that your child is eating could be a sign that they are struggling with body image. If they suddenly switch from eating meat to becoming a vegan or restricting/counting calories, there could be a problem.
How can parents intervene?
First, ask them why they are changing their diet. Then, ensure that they know that there is nothing wrong with modifying their diet; however, let them know that they should do so under the watchful eye of a medical professional. Make a plan for you to accompany them to their pediatrician, who can refer them to a nutritionist if needed. Let them know that a medical professional would be the appropriate person to help them restructure their diet successfully.
3. They don’t want to take pictures.
If your child is avoiding the camera, dig deeper and find out why. This may be a sign that they are not just “picture shy,” but that they are unhappy with the way that they look. Also, if your child is “covering and concealing the body to a significant degree may be another sign,” Heidi Schauster, a nutrition therapist and the author of “Nurture: How To Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies And Themselves,” told HuffPost.
How can parents intervene?
Schauster recommends that parents need to consider whether their child’s shying away from the camera is becoming excessive, “especially in a negative and disparaging way.”
4. They become rigid or inflexible.
“If you notice a child is preoccupied with food or getting rigid about their fitness schedule, this could be a sign that they are using food or movement as a way to find a sense of control over their body (or life) and struggling with body image,” Schauster said.
How can parents intervene?
Again, open communication is how parents can help, particularly by asking open-ended conversations about their heightened preoccupation with food or their fitness schedules. Open-ended conversations allow your child to open up and explain what is going on in their minds. This will put them in the drivers seat and give you unanticipated access to their thoughts and provide leverage to formulate a plan of action.
5. They seem obsessed with social media.
This one is unquestionably a hot topic for sure in the news media all the way up to Capitol Hill. Everyone has been debating the levels of damage that social media is causing young people. All over social media, there are “infinite opportunities for kids to examine others’ bodies and scrutinize how their own may be different.” Whether they are comparing themselves to others or attempting to follow some outrageous new diet-trend, social media can worsen a child’s negative body image.
How can parents intervene?
In a 2017 TED Talk, Stephanie Zerwas, a psychologist in North Carolina, explained that, “To understand whether your child is engaging in body comparison, you’ll have to ask them what they gravitate toward on social media, what they think about this content and how it makes them feel. If it seems like certain apps are detrimental to their well-being, you may want to talk about taking a break or instituting time limits.”
Schauster suggests that, as we all know, children tend to mimic their parents. If you are “… saying negative things about your body in front of them can make them wonder if you are telling them their body is wrong, too.”
And as always, if you are noticing things that are concerning in terms of your child’s struggle with body image, it is important to contact your pediatrician and discuss your feelings.
