Question

Human Growth and Behavior

This week, in addition to other required activities, you will read and complete Chapter 9: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood P. 250+ and Chapter 10: Socioemotional Development in Middle Childhood p. 280+ in your textbook.

1. Explain what body image dissatisfaction is associated with? What factors contribute to body image dissatisfaction?

2. A friend of yours just disclosed to you that his daughter is being bullied at school. He is understandably upset, and at a loss as to what to do about it. What advice can you give him?

Answer 1

1) Body image dissatisfaction is a term given for a person's false perceptions and negative feelings about their own body. That is one's dissatisfaction with their actual body compared to their ideal body figure concept. Although it is mostly seen in teen ages, it can be seen as early as in preschool years itself which eventually rises over childhood. It is associated with factors such as shape and appearance of the body, attitudes towards weight gain, and cultural norms in relation to an ideal body. It is strongly associated with disordered eating due to dieting awareness and weight concerns which ends up in severe food restriction, binge eating and purging and negative attitudes to foods like using labels like good food and bad food.

2) Provide psychological support to the friend. Tell him to talk with his daughter and understand her problems completely. Advice him that children who have their parent's support suffer fewer problems in life. It's the parents' responsibility to inculcate their child with good perceptions. It starts by seeing their own parents. Teach your child to embrace diversity in even in their body shape. Children who have their meals along with parents and family or those who have good family relations will be having fewer problems with their body image. Make sure that your friend gives enough mental support to his daughter to face bullying at school and raise her voice against it.