Boys and Body Image Tips
The new truth for boys
- Nearly a third of teen boys try to control their weight through unhealthy methods, like taking laxatives or smoking
- In a 2005 study, 1 in 8 boys ages 12 to 18 reported using hormones or supplements to change their appearance, improve muscle mass, or gain more strength
- 1 in 20 teen boys said they used products, including growth hormones or steroids, at least once a week
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Advice and Answers
Obsessed with their bodies: the new truth for boys.
Boys are held to some pretty high standards. There’s the NFL showing them impossibly large men with astound¬ing speed. There are magazine covers staring back at them preaching “Get a Better Body.“ Physique is the over-hyped indicator of manliness, and that leaves very little room for all those other more important qualities.What is it?
Although most people associate eating disorders and body issues with girls, it is far from a girls-only issue. Stars such as Dennis Quaid and Elton John have admitted to eating disorders, plus several scandals have surfaced about steroid use in professional sports. Increasingly, boys distort their bodies through anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. They can be driven to extreme eating behaviors, often in their quest to achieve unrealistic physiques, desiring the cut bodies and six-pack abs of stars like Matthew McConaughey or David Beckham.Why it matters
We want our sons to be healthy – and happy. And that means feeling good about their bodies. But as anyone with adolescent sons knows, talking about their bodies is really difficult. All too often they try to “solve” body problems on their own. They aren’t as expressive as girls, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by the Abercrombie & Fitch body examples everywhere around them. Media profoundly influences boys’ expectations of what a real body type is. And given that boys often organize around “alpha” leaders, body size and type become huge social organizing principles. Even with the negative examples of professional athletes and steroids scandals, boys are still tempted to “bulk up” for team sports or to impress girls.Parent tips for elementary school kids
- Emphasize health over looks. Keep kids active. Don’t let them veg in front of a screen too long at any given time.
Parent tips for middle school kids
- Check your own behavior: Are you overly critical of your own body? Do you exercise and eat well? You are setting an example of adult behavior.
- Do a reality check. Help them form realistic expectations. Point out that the sports celebrities they admire have teams of people working them out, feeding them certain meals, and in some cases, surgically altering them. The same holds true for “hot” movies stars. One glance at the real men in their lives will drive home this point.
- If your son is on a sports team, check in with him about training. Find out what kind of messages he’s getting from his coach and from other team members.
Parent tips for high school kids
- Check in. Ask your son if friends use risky methods to control weight. Since boys will talk more easily about other people than themselves, you can get more information by asking about third parties. Ask: Are any of your friends using steroids? Working out too much? Talking about “purging” after a pig out? If so, ask your son how he feels about it and whether he’s ever been tempted by these behaviors.
- Check for signs. Sudden weight loss, dramatically increased work outs, large muscle growth, and radically altered eating patterns are just a few signs of eating disorders or potential steroid use. If you think your son is at risk, make a doctor’s appointment immediately. This is critical not only for your son’s health, but also for his mental well being (eating disorders create a lot of feelings of shame). Some¬times your child might be more forthcoming with a health professional than with you for fear of either letting you down or being criticized.
Teen boys or girls going through image body issues is a common occurrence. Most will just grow out of it as they get older but I think that parents should be supportive as adolescence can be quite a traumatic period.
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Explain that the magazines get rich off spreading those rumors.
Acne is mainly caused due to overproduction of sebum in sebaceous glands of the body. Diet containing much oil must be avoided to prevent from acne. Balanced nutritious diet should be taken.
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Do n't worry that is not. I normally speak with their children to such subjects. They are all aware.
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This is why when their older they may take some anabolic steroid to lose weight or build muscle
Just tell him,it's not a taboo thing to say...Yes,some athletes use steroids..you can't blame them for being competitive..but if you don't want your kid to take steroids...just scare him with the bad facts,but not too much..he'll discover for himself soon enough it's just bad for his health.You didn;t lie to him,you just told one side of the story.