Talking to Your Kids About Body Image

As an adult, comparing your body to others can be almost a daily activity.

Our society is constantly judging people on appearance, especially weight.

But, what happens when it starts to infiltrate your kids' lives, even as young as, say, fourth grade?

What if your little girl came home from school one day and said, "Mommy, there was a girl at school who said my thighs were way bigger than hers"?

The typical gut reaction is for parents to get really upset and say, "You're beautiful" or "You're not fat, you're perfect."

But, according to body image expert and founder of Fit vs. Fiction, Marci Warhaft Nadler, you don't want to reinforce that the word "fat" is a bad thing and that what they weigh is such an important thing.

Don't make weight the problem, make the action the problem. Approach it with a few statements on how healthy your kid is, and then move on to something like, "what a silly thing for that kid to do... wasn't that boring?"

If you feel it's a much bigger issue, such as a bullying issue, you might want to take a bit more stringent action.

And, keep in mind, you don't know what goes on in that particular kid's life... is it an underlying issue at home? Is a coach putting extra pressure on to be thin?

The important thing, says Nadler, is to empower yourself and your kids with the right tools.

"If our kids hear us and see us treating ourselves properly and nicely with love and respect, then that's when they'll know that it's OK to treat themselves with love and respect."

Tune in as Nadler joins Andrea to discuss the ever-tricky issue of body image, as well as simple ways you can combat the constant comparisons in both your life and your child's life.