THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: ARE WE MIRRORING OUR MOTHER’S BODY IMAGE?

Featured image by Suhyeon Choi

"The good news is, times are changing. According to Dr. Walker, parents today are developing more healthy relationships with their own bodies and passing that onto their children.

'The idea of positive body image is where the field is slowly moving and where there are a lot of unanswered questions,' said Dr. Walker. 'We know what not to do but we need to figure out what can we do.'

'Simply in looking at Google Trends, searches for ‘positive body image’ increase from 2012 to 2017.' The data shows that interest in this topic is starting to become more prevalent and that more material is being published on it. It is also important to point out that keywords associated with negative body image have significantly decreased.

When mothers speak to their daughters about body image, it’s important to be self aware. Mothers should make an effort to consciously acknowledge and remember that their negative outlooks on their bodies are not solely their own but are very likely to be passed on to their daughters. So, before criticizing yourself in front of your daughter, take a step back and think about the consequences."