This is where today's children and adolescents need more support to build a positive body image. Kids are putting more stress on their bodies by dieting at the age of three. By the age of nine, some are already taking control of body weight by starving themselves at a critical time when their growing bodies have increased demands for energy and nutrients. These are unnecessary stresses that create new health problems, since dieters usually end up gaining more weight. Adolescence is a time for building peak bone mass.
Parents are role models and eating and exercise behaviours are set early in life.
Children also copy their dieting parents or have fears they too will be a fat adult or might die from heart disease or cancer. Children expected to be too perfect often use food and weight as the only thing they themselves can control. The following case illustrates the complexity in dealing with childhood weight issues. She said Pam had been starving herself and was bingeing on sweets. Although Pam was in the 90th percentile for weight, it was apparent her body was preparing for puberty.