Even Preschoolers Want To Be Thin

Girls as young as three are already "emotionally invested" in being thin, according to a small study of 55 preschoolers.

I really didn't expect kids this young to even notice what weight someone was. But then again, our culture has become obsessed with body image, so does this really surprise anyone?

The girls behavior indicated they did not even want to be friends with someone who was "fat". Given the extent of our current obesity epidemic, that is particularly worrying. I mean, what kind of relationships will today's children form in later years with an attitude like this at such a young age?

Researchers had the preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) look at three figures, identical in every way except for their body size -- thin, average and fat. The children had to associate each of 12 adjectives (six positive and six negative) with a figure.Researchers then said: "Point to the girl that you think is/has ____." Positive descriptors included: nice, smart, friends, neat, cute and quiet. The negative descriptors were: mean, stupid, no friends, sloppy, ugly and loud.Then the girls were presented with nine figures, three of each body type, and they had to circle the three they would most like to play with, and one they would want as a best friend. The children were significantly more likely to choose the thin figure over the other two for a best friend. Similar results showed up for their circle of friends to play with.

They also played a game of Chutes and Ladders, or Candy Land, where they had to choose game pieces, designed for the task, varying only in body type (thin, average, and fat). Lead researcher Jennifer Harriger, of Pepperdine University in Malibu, said this:

Interestingly, several participants were reluctant to even touch the fat game piece... For example, one child selected the thin piece as the girl she wanted to 'be' to play the game. When I presented her with the fat piece and asked her if she was willing to switch, she crinkled her nose and she reached around my hand, avoiding touching the fat piece altogether, picked up the average-size piece and said, 'No, I won't switch with you, but I will be this one instead.'... Other participants made comments such as, "I hate her, she has a fat stomach," or "She is fat. I don't want to be that one." (LiveScience)

Here are a few suggestions to help your child develop a healthy body image: Eat together at mealtimes -- families who eat together are less likely to suffer from eating issues.Don't make comments about your own weight, or the weight of others. So, no talking about how fat your stomach is, or how you really shouldn't be eating this piece of cake.Encourage your children for what they do, not what they look like.Make the focus on improving their health, not losing weight.Be a role model -- eat healthy foods and take some exercise.Limit your child's exposure to mainstream media, which tends to have a strong emphasis on thin models, or an unhealthy focus on body image.Help your children find something they can take pride in -- having a sense of accomplishment helps improve self-esteem.

I read a comment from one reader on this topic who said, "Do people really think this is bad? We're constantly told about the childhood obesity epidemic, and now we think it's bad because they want to be thin?"

What are your thoughts on this reader's attitude? Do you agree?

Image source: Colodio

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