Teens are extremely conscious about their bodies. Here are some tips to help your teen feel better about her body.

Teenage years can be a very stressful phase of life. A child is growing up and is on the verge of becoming an adult. Not only is her body changing, but also her relationships with other people. A changing body makes a teenager conscious about her image. At the same time, the media is bombarding her with images of toned and shapely bodies. She is caught between accepting her body and trying to live up to media expectations. Here are a few guidelines to help your teen cope with the stress.

Body Image

The pressure to look good can sometimes be a cause of worry. Young girls want to be slim and willowy, like the women on television. For boys, bulging biceps and a washboard tummy are the figures they desire. There is nothing wrong in wanting to improve the shape and structure of your body. However, a teenager must never try to achieve this at the cost of her own health.

Teenagers are highly influenced by their peers. If one person recommends an activity, all her friends will go ahead and try it. This is especially common for weight-loss methods. A teenager who thinks she is overweight will sometimes stop at nothing to lose the extra kilos. This may lead to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Both of them are highly dangerous and can lead to death, if not cured in time.

Having a Healthy Body

Every time your teen looks in the mirror, she is probably going to find something about her body she does not like. This is a natural feeling. Only a small percentage of people are gifted with perfect figures. However, just because she does not have a slender waist does not imply that she is fat. According to medical experts, a person with a body mass index (BMI) of 18-25 is in the normal range. BMI is a ratio of your weight to height. An increased BMI indicates a greater chance of developing obesity-related diseases. Therefore, she does not need to lose any weight if she has a normal BMI.

Changing the Way Your Teen Feels

It is possible for your teen to improve how she perceives her body. The key is to accept her body and be happy with the way she looks. This can be accomplished in a number of ways.

Participating in physical activities: Taking part in a physical activity can help your teen accept her body image. When she participates in a sport or goes trekking, she will use her body and discover what it is capable of. As she continues, she will respect the job her body does and become more at ease with it. If sport is not one of her interests, she can try other activities like dancing for example. Find an activity that she likes and try to get her to participate as often as possible.

Healthy diet: Make sure your teen eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Her body is only as good as the fuel she puts into it so give it the best nourishment available. When her body feels good, she will feel much better about it too.

Stop bad habits: Just as your teen needs to give her body healthy food, she also needs to cut down on harmful substances. Cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol introduce harmful chemicals into the body. These chemicals not only affect all the organs but also slow you down physically. If she consumes alcohol or smokes, she will find herself feeling tired and irritated. In turn, she will feel disgusted about her life in general, including her body.

Go for therapy: Sometimes, your teen may need professional help to aid her in reaching her goal. If she is physically in the normal range but cannot stop trying to lose weight, she may need psychiatric help. An expert will talk to her and help her plan a program to deal with the negative issues in her mind.

Body image is not really about looking good. It is about being healthy and finding ways to be comfortable and happy with the body nature has blessed your teen with.