Reassess your beliefs about the body  

Feeling good about your body isn’t always easy – even as an adult. 

According to a recent survey conducted by ÉquiLibre, 65% of Quebec adults say they’re dissatisfied with their weight.¹ Society’s body ideals affect us all. Starting in childhood, we internalize the oft-heard message that a slim, muscular body is synonymous with beauty, health and success. Placing this single standard of beauty on a pedestal makes it very hard for us to appreciate our own body.  

Given this reality, helping young people relate to their body can be quite challenging.  

Let’s start by taking stock of our own biases! 

❌One widespread belief about the body is that it can be modified to match the beauty ideal. The problem with this belief is that it dismisses all non-conforming bodies outright and makes them responsible for failing to attain the ideal image  

✅ Recent studies show that 50%-75% of our weight is determined by our genetic make-up.² Contrary to popular belief, weight is not just a matter of willpower or adopted behaviour. Hormones, age, gender, stress, genetics, changes such as puberty and menopause, illness, medication and socio-economic status are all factors (beyond our control) that can influence our weight and body appearance. Certain social phenomena, such as weight-based discrimination (also known as fatphobia), can also impact our weight. Discriminating against or making fun of someone because of their weight can contribute to a feeling of shame and exclusion that may keep them from adopting healthy lifestyle habits.   

To learn more about the latest scientific data on weight and health, have a listen to episode 194 – Poids et Santé with Benoît Arsenault form the Sans-Filtre podcast (in French).  

In the age of social media, young people can be continuously exposed to images and messages that encourage them to attain beauty ideals, helping to create the illusion that they have full control over their body (for e.g., certain TikTok trends [in French]).  

If you have a teen in your life, you have a vital protective role to play. You can help them feel better about themselves by:

• Reducing the importance attached to physical appearances

• Promoting body acceptance

But where should you start? And what does “appreciating your body” really mean? 

👉 That said, appreciating your body does not mean ignoring your physical appearance or always being satisfied with it. You can appreciate your body’s capabilities AND be dissatisfied with the physical appearance of certain parts of it.³ For example: 

• A mother can be dissatisfied with the appearance of her belly AND feel grateful that it carried her baby. 

• A teenager may think they’re smaller than their friends AND be involved in sports or artistic activities that give them pleasure and pride, and make use of their agility.  

In adolescence, studies show that having a positive body image is linked to better health behaviours, including less alcohol consumption and more physical activity.⁴ What’s more, teens who appreciate their bodies tend to be more critical of beauty ideals, viewing them as harmful to health.⁵ 

As adults, helping young people to appreciate their bodies often means questioning the role model we wish to hold up to them.