Reframing How Providers Advocate for Adolescent Well-Being in Body Image, Eating, and Weight

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical developmental period when youth are vulnerable to messages that promote unrealistic body shapes and a culture of weight-based stigma. Adolescents' vulnerability is reflected in high prevalence of body dissatisfaction among adolescents of all genders,^1-3 which can lead to negative mental health consequences including disordered eating and depression.^4,5 Importantly, body concerns are compounded among adolescents with higher weights who are more likely to experience weight-based victimization and internalize weight-based stigma compared with adolescents with lower weights.^6,7 Health care providers have an opportunity to advocate for well-being of adolescent patients by providing nonstigmatizing messages regarding body image, eating, and weight. While body image prevention programs emphasize the need to promote positive body image and awareness of weight-based victimization, clinical guidelines instead focus on preventing or treating conditions (ie, obesity or eating disorders). Yet, adolescents' well-being would benefit from weight-inclusive, positive body image messages. Providers can model the importance of prioritizing positive body image messages by spending time discussing body image through a positive rather than problem-focused lens. We propose an advocacy framework for health care providers to support adolescents' body image and to reduce the impact of weight bias across 4 settings: the clinic, social media, adolescents' homes, and school.