After years when body positivity and diverse shapes seemed to be gaining ground, popular culture is drifting back toward an alarming ideal of extreme thinness. Headlines about dramatic celebrity weight loss, viral photos, and constant chatter about drugs like Ozempic can flood social media feeds. For kids and teens, it can feel like there is no escape from the message that thinner is automatically better. That pressure can land especially hard during the years when children are still forming their sense of self.
Doctors who treat eating disorders say this kind of repeated messaging has real consequences. Dr. Debra Katzman from the Eating Disorders Program at SickKids in Toronto warns that constant exposure can fuel dissatisfaction with one’s body, which is a major risk factor for eating disorders. She explains, “We know that repeated exposure to the thin ideal can trigger body dissatisfaction, and that is a major risk factor for eating disorders.” She also notes how kids compare themselves to images that can be heavily edited and framed in ways that make restrictive eating look normal and even virtuous.
This cultural shift is happening while eating disorders among young people are already a growing concern. The Canadian Paediatric Society, often shortened to CPS, cited research showing that about a third of Canadian girls ages 10 to 14 had dieted, and by eighth grade more than half of young people had tried to lose weight. SickKids research also found hospital admissions for eating disorders rose by nearly 60 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the numbers have not fully returned to pre pandemic levels. The timing matters because many families are still dealing with the ripple effects of disrupted routines and stress.
Dr. Katzman points to how the pandemic shaped daily life for children and teens. She says the conditions were ripe for problems that can feed anxiety about appearance, including isolation, more screen time, and reduced access to care. As she puts it, “Kids were online for school, they socialized online, and they were looking at themselves on screens all day.” Add today’s renewed obsession with thinness, and vulnerable kids can be pushed toward harmful behaviors, particularly those already struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, or body dissatisfaction.
Parents cannot control every image their child sees, but they can shape how their child interprets what they see. Dr. Katzman says conversation is one of the strongest tools families have, especially when it is open and nonjudgmental. She advises, “Start by emphasizing that bodies come in different shapes and sizes, and that health is not defined only by appearance.” The goal is to give kids language that separates worth, health, and identity from a narrow look they are being sold online.
One practical way to do that is to steer the focus from appearance to function and well being. Dr. Katzman recommends, “Focus on what bodies can do, not what they look like.” She even offers examples parents can use, like swapping a comment about being thin for something that celebrates strength and energy. In her words, instead of “Your slim body helps you run fast,” try “I love seeing how strong you are when you run,” or “You seem really full of energy lately.”
Everyday moments can become low pressure openings for these talks. A magazine cover at the checkout line or a TikTok post about a celebrity’s weight loss can be a natural prompt to ask what your child thinks and feels. If a child says an actress or singer is “so thin now,” Dr. Katzman suggests not brushing it off. She recommends responding with, “I notice you are thinking about that. How do you feel about it?” because, as she says, “That opens the door instead of closing it.”
Kids may also ask directly about weight loss drugs or say they want to change their bodies, and that can be a scary moment for a parent. Dr. Katzman recommends keeping the conversation grounded in safety and facts rather than turning it into a lecture. She says, “You can acknowledge what they are noticing and explain that some people use medications or extreme diets, but it can be unsafe, especially for growing bodies.” She adds, “Healthy habits and balanced eating are the safest ways to take care of yourself.”
That message aligns with updated CPS guidance that encourages clinicians to use a “health at every size” approach. The idea is to prioritize balanced eating, enjoyable movement, and sustainable habits rather than restrictive, weight focused dieting. Dr. Alene Toulany, a coauthor of the updated guidance and a physician at SickKids, emphasizes that a person’s “best” weight is not necessarily an “ideal” weight. She explains, “A person’s weight is the weight they can reach by practicing safe, sustainable, healthy behaviors and enjoying life.”
Parents should also know when normal curiosity about food and bodies may be shifting into something more dangerous. Warning signs can include skipping meals, avoiding family meals, obsessive calorie counting, excessive exercise, irritability, social withdrawal, or heightened anxiety about weight and appearance. If you are worried, Dr. Katzman stresses early action and compassionate support. She advises, “Start a caring conversation without judgment and seek professional help from your family doctor, pediatrician, or a specialist,” and she reminds families, “The earlier we intervene, the better the outcome.”
It also helps to understand the basics of why eating disorders are so serious, even when a child does not look visibly ill. Eating disorders are mental health conditions that can involve dangerous restriction, bingeing, purging, or compulsive exercise, and they can affect the heart, bones, hormones, and growth in young people. Body image is shaped by many forces, including family talk, peer comments, and algorithms that reward a single look with attention. Teaching media literacy, modeling neutral language about food and bodies, and praising kids for effort, kindness, and curiosity can help protect them from a culture that tries to shrink their confidence down to a number.
What strategies have you found most helpful for building healthy body image and resilience in kids as the thin ideal makes a comeback, and share your thoughts in the comments.
