Building a Positive Relationship with Food: Strategies for Teens

Let’s take a moment to understand the critical importance of nurturing a positive relationship with food among teenagers, especially considering the prevalent challenges such as eating disorders and low self-esteem. We need to delve into the impact of societal pressures and media influences on adolescents’ perceptions of food and body image. As parents, it’s essential to promote mindful eating practices, foster open discussions about emotional eating, and encourage a healthy body image. Let’s provide practical tips to create a supportive meal environment, empower teens in food choices, and use meal times for family bonding rather than using food as a reward or punishment. Overall, together we can advocate for empathetic parenting and take proactive measures to help teens cultivate healthy eating habits and a positive self-image.

It’s no secret that today’s teenagers are more concerned than ever about their weight, body shape, and overall image. Studies have shown that eating disorders among adolescent girls have increased over the past 50 years. Even more alarming, many teenagers feel dissatisfied with their bodies and engage in unhealthy eating behaviours as a result. Did you know that in one study, 44% of adolescent girls believed they were overweight, and 60% were actively trying to lose weight, even though most were within normal weight ranges?

The media often portrays unrealistic body ideals, which can fuel body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. These behaviours include restrictive dieting and extreme weight-control methods, which are more prevalent than diagnosable eating disorders. It’s important to remember that eating disorders can affect people of all ages, backgrounds, body weights, and genders, often appearing during the teen years or young adulthood.

As parents, understanding the challenges teenagers face with food and body image is crucial. Let’s explore how we can help our teenagers build a positive relationship with food.

Understanding Food’s Role

It’s important to view food as a source of nourishment for our bodies and minds rather than as a source of stress or a coping mechanism.

Here’s a breakdown of the key concepts:

  • Food as Fuel: We should eat to nourish and energize our bodies.
  • Emotional Eating: Using food as a way to manage stress, sadness, or other emotions.

Emotional eating can lead to unhealthy eating habits such as restriction, binge eating, and obesity, often involving high-energy, low-nutrient foods. It’s associated with poor dietary outcomes, such as higher intakes of added sugars and fats.

Emotional regulation is crucial in this context. It involves using behaviours and strategies to manage our emotional experiences and expressions, whether they’re conscious or unconscious, automatic or effortful.

Strategies for Parents

During adolescence, peer influence often has more impact than parental influence, particularly in terms of self-esteem and body image. Many teens struggle to differentiate between realistic and digitally enhanced images they see in the media, which often promote unattainable body standards.

Encouraging Mindful Eating Practices

  • Mindful Eating: Being present and fully aware during meals.
  • Avoid labelling foods as “good” or “bad.”
  • Encourage your teen to listen to their body’s hunger and fullness cues.
  • Involve your teen in meal preparation and allow them to serve themselves.

Serve meals family-style, giving your teen autonomy in choosing and portioning their food. Use verbal praise and special activities as rewards rather than food. Make mealtime free from distractions like TV and technology, and use it as an opportunity to connect with your children. Ask them about their day and interests at the dinner table.

Tips for Practicing Mindfulness with Meals

  • Eliminate distractions.
  • Focus on the taste, texture, and smell of the food.
  • Encourage slow, deliberate eating.

Journaling 

Food journaling can help teens track their emotions and eating habits. Here are some prompts to help them explore their feelings about food:

  • How did you feel before and after eating?
  • What emotions triggered your eating?
  • Did you eat because you were hungry or because of an emotion?

Discussing Emotional Eating 

Approach the topic without judgment. Help your teen identify triggers and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Conclusion

Treating eating disorders in teens often requires a multidisciplinary approach, including medical management, nutritional counselling, and psychological interventions. Lifestyle habits, including eating behaviours, continue to evolve into young adulthood. Developing strong emotion regulation skills, preventing overweight/obesity early, and promoting body satisfaction are positive factors that can protect teens from emotional eating later in life.

Fostering a positive relationship with food is essential for long-term mental wellness. As parents, your support and understanding can make a significant difference in helping your teens navigate these challenges. Let’s empower our teens to develop a healthy, positive relationship with food for a brighter future.

References

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Eating disorders. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders#part_2269

Morris, A. M., & Katzman, D. K. (2003). The impact of the media on eating disorders in children and adolescents. Paediatrics & Child Health, 8(5), 287–289. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/8.5.287

Kontele, I., Saripanagiotou, S., Papadopoulou, A. M., Zoumbaneas, E., & Vassilakou, T. (2023). Parental dieting and correlation with disordered eating behaviours in adolescents: A narrative review. Adolescents, 3(3), 538-549. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents3030038

Ram, J. R., & Shelke, S. B. (2023). Understanding eating disorders in children and adolescent population. Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19(1), 60-69. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731342231179267

Shriver, L. H., Dollar, J. M., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., Shanahan, L., & Wideman, L. (2020). Emotional eating in adolescence: Effects of emotion regulation, weight status and negative body image. Nutrients, 13(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010079