Teen boys
13 to 18 years
'The truth about guys' - excerpt from
"Real Food: Healthy Happy Children”
Teen boys may think they shouldn’t worry about how they look, but body image can be as real a problem for them as it is for girls. Unlike girls, however, teen boys are less likely to talk to friends and family about their bodies and how they’re developing. Without support, they can quite easily develop a negative self-image.
So what can we as parents do
to fuel a positive self-image in our teen boys?
Teach your teen to respect his body. Not to trash it. To help improve your son’s view of his body, he needs to learn to take care of it. Smoking and other harmful habits will eventually take a toll. Therefore, treating himself well over time yields a healthier, stronger body and that contributes to a better body image.
Encourage your teen with good grooming. Regular showering, taking care of his teeth, hair and skin, wearing clean clothes… these all help build a positive body image.
Celebrate who your teen boy is – his body is just one aspect, help him to appreciate his other attributes like his quick wit or mindfulness of others etc.
Achieving their goals
A common way many teen boys try to accomplish these goals is to take up bodybuilding and dietary supplements are often used to help achieve these goals a bit faster. Most teenage boys can get good results just by working out and eating the right foods.
Should they decide to use supplements, these will need to be carefully selected as they might interfere with hormones and natural growth patterns. It is recommended that teen boys under 16 years should not use supplements at all.
