All bodies are different. Body shape and size depend on a number of factors including genetics, health and medications, growth as a young child, activity levels, food choices and eating patterns.

You may be worried about your child’s weight, or you may have been told they need to lose weight. Children with weight concerns may feel shame about their body and this can lead to poor body image.

Body image is how we see ourselves, our thoughts and feelings about our own body including height, shape and weight. It is common for children to feel uncomfortable with their body as they grow. Children may experience:

• worry and low confidence.
• doubts about their abilities.
• negative thoughts and beliefs about their body.

When a child has poor body image, they may feel worried. This can lead to changes in eating patterns and the range of foods they eat.

Body acceptance

How you can help your child with their body image:

• Try not to comment on your child’s weight or body shape.
• Celebrate your child’s personal qualities and skills.
• Help your child celebrate what their body can do for them rather than focus on how it looks.
• Talk to your child about how things like lighting, makeup, filters, posing and photoshop make people look different on social media.
• Talk about foods as ‘everyday foods’ and ‘sometimes foods’, rather than labelling them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’.
• Take the time to talk with your child about anything that may be troubling them.
• Show your child that you accept your body and try not to make negative comments about your own or other people’s bodies.
• Talk to your child about body diversity and that everyone has a different body shape and size.

What to look out for

Keep an eye out for signs that your child might be struggling with body image such as:

• Making negative comments about their body (e.g. “I don’t like my stomach”).
• Comparing their body to others.
• Worrying about what other children say about them.
• Feeling shame or guilt after they eat.

Positive experiences at mealtimes will help your child develop healthy food habits and feel good about eating. Allow your child to decide what to eat and how much to eat from what you have offered. Your child knows their hunger and knows what foods they enjoy.

The ‘Five Onlys’

The ‘Five Onlys’ can help you plan meals and snacks to support your child to eat well.

• Eat only at the table
• Eat only while seated
• Eat only from a plate or lunchbox
• Eat only (remove distractions such as the TV, phones, toys and books)
• Eat only during planned meals and snacks

Provide a variety of foods every day.

Children need a variety of foods from each food group. Remember to let your child decide whether to eat and how much to eat. Offer plenty of:

• Wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta and noodles.
• Meat, chicken, fish, legumes, eggs, nuts and tofu.
• Reduced fat milk, yoghurt and cheese or calcium enriched dairy alternatives.
• Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and legumes.
• Fresh, frozen or canned fruit.

Portion guide for children

Provide children with a variety of food using the plate guide below:

• Fill half of the plate with vegetables and fruit
• Fill a quarter of the plate with meat or meat alternatives.
• Fill a quarter of the plate with wholegrain or wholemeal breads, cereals, rice, noodles or pasta.

Choose water to drink

• Serve water with meals and snacks.
• Have a jug of tap water in the fridge.
• Add a slice of lemon to water for flavour.
• Take a water bottle when your child goes out or to school.
• Show your child that you drink water as well.

Keep active

Children aged 5 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. This can look like:

• Playing a ball game outside
• Jumping on the trampoline
• Dancing
• Skipping
• Swimming
• Climbing
• walking or riding to school

Remember, it doesn’t have to be all at once.

Limit electronic media for entertainment (like the TV, phones, computers) to 2 hours or less a day.

Where can I get more information?

• Talk to your General Practitioner (GP).
• Make an appointment with a Canberra Health Services (CHS) Community Dietitian by phoning (02) 5124 9977.

• Visit the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating at: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating
• Visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Guide to Healthy Eating at https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/FINAL_ATSI_Guide_to_Healthy_Eating_A4_size_double_sided_POSTER_D15_1106141.PDF

For more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and children contact:

• Australian Family Partnership Program: https://www.winnunga.org.au/afpp/
• Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services: https://winnunga.org.au/
• Yerrabi Yurwang – Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation: https://yerrabi.org.au/