Body Image is what you think about your own body and how you feel about the way you look.
A positive body image means you are mostly comfortable with your body and you feel good about the way you look.
A negative body image means you are mostly unhappy with how you believe your body looks.
How we feel about our bodies can be affected by many things, including:
Positive body image:
Negative body Image:
It is common to feel this way from time to time but if you have negative thoughts about the way you look or the way think you look most of the time, you may want to talk to someone you trust; a friend, an adult, a teacher, GP or counsellor.
There is a lot you can do to improve your body image, even without changing your body.
Remember, body image is not about how you look, but how you feel about the way you look.
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Childline (Free) 0800 1111
Links:
Eating disorders are characterised by an unusual attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behaviour towards food. A person with an eating disorder may focus excessively on their weight and shape, leading them to make unhealthy choices about food with damaging results to their health.
Eating disorders can happen to boys and girls of all backgrounds and cultures. They are often blamed on the social pressure to be thin, as young people in particular feel they should look a certain way. However, the causes are more complex and can be brought on by traumatic or stressful experiences as a way of coping with feelings or situations that are making you unhappy, angry, depressed or anxious.
What begins as trying to lose weight by dieting or skipping meals can turn into obsessively trying to control your weight. Unhappiness about one’s appearance or feeling the need to diet or exercise is common; an eating disorder is the extreme.
Eating disorders are serious but treatable conditions. Untreated eating disorders can lead to severe medical complications including kidney damage, liver damage, infertility and heart failure. Anorexia has the highest morality rate of any psychiatric disorder.
here are different types of eating disorders and the signs and symptoms can vary. Commonly known eating disorders are:
Only a medical professional can diagnose the type of disorder but you can check out some of the signs of eating disorders below:
Do I have an eating disorder?
Doctors and GPs will use a questionnaire to help identify people who may have an eating disorder.
If you answer ‘yes’ to two or more of these questions, you may have an eating disorder and must speak to your doctor and GP
If you suspect you have an eating disorder speak to a GP immediately. It is important to get help as soon as you suspect an eating disorder. The sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.
If you suspect someone you know has an eating problem, but they will not see their GP, then tell a teacher or an adult that can help.
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Telephone
Childline (Free) 0800 1111
Links:
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have plenty of energy. To look and feel your best you need to be as healthy as you can be, this means regular exercise and a balanced diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins and minerals.
A poor diet can make you underweight or overweight and it can lead to health complications such as high blood pressure, constipation, fatigue and concentration problems.
A healthy balanced diet will consist of:
Fast foods, energy drinks, cakes, crisps and sweets are harmful to your body because they are low in nutrients and they are usually always full of sugar, salt and fat. Stop or at least limit your intake of high sugar and fast foods.
Tips to help keep your body healthy:
Eating healthy food and exercising regularly are really important for the healthy growth and development of your body.
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Telephone
BEAT 1345 634 1414
Samaritans 116 123
Links:
Puberty is when chemicals (hormones) in your glands cause your body to change. Your body develops over several years as you change from a child to an adult. Remember everyone develops at different rates so don’t worry if you think you are going through changes before or after everyone else. It can be a confusing time, but everyone goes through puberty.
Signs (girls)
Signs (boys)
Release energy and decrease stress by:
Don’t compare yourself to others because people start puberty at different times and they develop at different rates.
Remember that although your feelings may seem out of control at times, changing moods are a normal part of growing up.
Hormones can make you sweaty but showering or bathing more often and using deodorant can help.
You might have mood swings and feel emotional, but your feelings will settle down eventually.
Females
If you notice discharge from your vagina, it should be colourless or white, and shouldn’t smell. If it looks green or yellow and/or it smells, see a doctor as you might have an infection.
If you are worried or have any more questions, you can talk to someone you trust, a friend, an adult, a teacher, GP or counsellor.
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Talk to your parents or GP
Telephone
Childline (Free) 0800 1111
Links:
Sex is biological, it’s about your body and the physical parts that people use to decide if bodies are male, female or not clearly just on or the other.
Gender is how society thinks we should look, think and act as either males or females.
Gender identity is how we feel about our sex and our gender and how we express those feelings with how we dress and act.
Straight/Hetrosexual
You have a physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to people of the opposite sex
Gay
You are attracted to people of the same sex or gender (also known as homosexual)
Lesbian
When you are a female and you are physically and/or emotionally attracted to other females
Bisexual
You are physically, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to people whose gender and sexuality is the same as yours as well as being attracted to people whose gender and sexuality is different to yours
Transgender
When people feel the sex they have been raised as does not match how they feel inside
Transsexual
You appear as and/or want to be considered as a member of the opposite sex to the one you were born with
Pansexual
You have a physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to people of any gender identity
Homophobia
The fear or hatred of people who are not straight
Transphobia
The fear or hatred of people who are believed to be transsexual or who don’t look, act or dress how other people believe they should based on their sex.
No matter what gender you most identify with, you have a right to enjoy your body and your sexual experiences and you have a right to healthy relationships.
If you are confused or unsure about your sex or gender identity, you feel you have to keep quiet about your sexuality or gender identity or you believe you are experiencing bullying or unkind comments or behaviours from people because of your identity then talk to someone. Keeping quiet can lead to more uneasy or difficult feelings, experiences of depression and/or other psychological problems.
Talk to someone you trust, a friend, an adult, a teacher, GP or counsellor or use the links below to read more or to speak to someone confidentially by telephone.
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Talk to your parents or GP
Telephone
Childline (Free) 0800 1111
Links:
