Teens are obsessed with the idea of dieting—that’s a common fact. What societal and cultural nor,s feed them with are notions that drive them towards doing the extremes for the sake of body image. Because a positive body image is often associated with thinness, most teens, especially the girls, have adapted the current trend on thinness as a fad without a second thought to its hazards.

Dieting may seem safe and healthy. Indeed, it is. Aren’t doctors and health experts persuading us to eat right, exercise, and stay away from vices? That’s a good advice as any, but teens who engages in extreme means of dieting may pose a problem.

An array of unhealthy behaviors comes with teens’ excessive dieting. Some examples of these are poor eating patterns, preoccupation with food, and self-starvation which could lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Moreover, it is not healthy for teens to involve themselves in extreme means of losing weight because such may cause them behavioral problems and substance abuse as well.

The media, the society, as well as a girl’s peer group affects the way she carries herself. If she’s a little on the plump side and she’s not happy with it, hearing and knowing that her social group favor girls with great figure may put a strain on her self-confidence. Of course, that is already a given fact. But did you know that more than the social groups that girls belong to, her home environment also plays a big role in how she perceives herself?

Yes, that’s right. Because parents have a major influence over their teen’s lives, what they say and do, whether intentionally or unintentionally, affects the standards of a teen in terms of beauty and attractiveness. Knowing that teens are burdened with the responsibility of looking physically appealing, poor body image just might start in the home environment.

If you’re avoidant in social interactions, and you’re isolating yourselves from your peers, thinking that you don’t belong with them because you look “different”, meaning, you don’t fit in with the standards of beauty, then you may already be suffering from poor body image. While you cannot do anything much to alter your parents and your friends’ views on the importance of an appealing body structure as a gauge for beauty and attractiveness, you can at least try to keep yours in check.. remember, their standards are not your standards, so don’t confuse your own perception with theirs.

There are other ways to make a girl desirable. Beauty and attractiveness is not limited to the physical level. Intellect, talent, charm, grace, and a great personality are also important.

Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, society dictates the norms and this affects the way we live our lives. Our judgment is often tainted with what the society’s standards are. Thus, in effect, even the way teens perceive themselves are ultimately dependent on society’s standards. Somehow, this makes it hard to deviate from the notion that body structure is among the most important factors in defining beauty. This notion is shared by adults and has somehow made its way to the teens, too, because more often than not, how parents perceive things are also the perception that is followed through by their sons and daughters.

Realistically, we say that a good body structure is an advantage, but to say that this is the only consideration in attaining a positive body image is not true. A positive body image is based on perception, and perceptions are individualistic. Meaning, it cannot be generalized. What appears good to one person may not sit well with another person. In the same way, teens should also realize that their positive body image relies on their ability to appreciate themselves in order to exude a positive body image.

Confidence and a positive attitude is the key. If you are a teen who suffers from poor body image, heed my advice: take a good look at yourself and love the reflection staring right back at you. There’s an innate beauty in each and every one of us. A smile that no one else has, a look that only we can give. An expression, an arch of an eyebrow, a posture that is entirely different from the others. Learn to appreciate your own beauty, your positive body image relies on it.