![]() ![]() As his rigid food restrictions and nutrition worsened, his heart rate plummeted to 35 beats per minute. I met a 10-year-old boy who, after hearing from older kids at camp that he needed to build muscle if he wanted to be a good athlete, changed his diet by cutting out fats and adding protein. That, coupled with the relentless and deceptive marketing of muscle-building supplements has led to high rates of use among adolescents. It's not much of a surprise to see these high numbers when muscle-building supplements are so easy for teens to buy at local stores, gyms, and online. More than half of teen boys (55%) and 33% of teen girls use protein powders. ![]() This is particularly alarming when coupled with the current mental health crisis teens face in the U.S. What's more, the internalization of the muscular ideal has shown to be directly related to depressive symptoms and low self-esteem in adolescents. Sadly, teens feel increasing pressure to strive for the extreme muscularity they see in Hollywood heroes or the 2 million plus #mensfitness posts on Instagram. What else should I take?" Pediatricians, coaches, and parents are hearing questions like this more and much too often from teen boys. "I heard I should take a pre-workout protein shake to build muscle faster, which I've been doing every day, but my body isn't changing. “Because body image issues are traditionally thought of as being a “woman’s problem,” boys are likely to feel extra shame,” says Jovanovic.The supplements industry can and must be stopped. Know that conversations about body image may be challenging. “It is important that they not tie their value to their physical appearance.” 4. “Support your kids in understanding what their best qualities are- creativity, intellect, passions, friendliness, etc.” says Jovanovic. Emphasize the importance of traits not related to appearance. The National Eating Disorders Association has a media literacy toolkit on their website. ![]() “Normalizing the idea that bodies come in many shapes and sizes is not only an important message for young girls, but for young boys as well,” explains Rogers. Media literacy can help combat media influence on body image. Talk with your sons about the images of men they see in the media. “I do think my boys are trying to emulate what they see from their favorite YouTubers and singers/rappers, who always seem to be showing off their abs,” she says. Research suggests that the more social media a person consumes, the less satisfied they are likely to be with their bodies. 4 Ways to Foster a Healthy Body Image: 1. There are things that parents can do to help teen boys deal with male body image issues and develop healthy body images. ![]() “The type of body image ideal then dictates the behaviors they will then engage in to attempt to achieve that ideal,” says Rogers, “leading to starving and dieting in girls, bulking up and over-consuming protein, supplements, and steroids in boys.” For both boys and girls, the desire to achieve a certain ideal body can lead to low self-esteem and unhealthy habits. In many cases, boys want to bulk up and have more defined muscles, while girls strive to be thinner. The key difference between boys and girls is the ideal they strive to achieve. “They are both affected by what they perceive to be societal norms.” “Just as girls try to look like idols, boys look up to those models that are considered to be physically desirable,” says Ana Jovanovic, a licensed psychotherapist with Parenting Pod. Research has found that exposure to unrealistic body imagery on social media can lead to dissatisfaction for both genders. ![]()
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