The Power of Positive Body Talk

By: Sara Hofmeier

I came across two things online recently that have left me thinking a lot about how we talk about out bodies and the messages we send – an article written by a mother who recalled a particular interaction with her five-year-old daughter in the bathroom one day about the size of her legs, and a video made by a 4-year-old girl and her mother about uniqueness and beauty.

In the article, a woman describes a moment when she and her young daughte

r were in the restroom together. Her daughter comments on how “fat” her mom’s thighs are, compared to her own “skinny” legs, and the comment brings the woman back to a memory of a similar interaction decades previously with her own mother about body size and shape, and the negativity her mother had about the size of her thighs. Recogniz

ing this as an opportunity to make a difference for her daughter and potentially change this pattern of body dissatisfaction, the woman embraces her daughter’s proclamation and begins to talk excitedly with her about all of the wonderful ways your body changes as you get older. Her daughter begins to share this excitement, reveling in the idea that she too will have curves one day and look like her mother. And with that seemingly small conversation, this five-year-old daughter was exposed to the idea that talking about our bodies can be positive, encouraging, and even exciting.

All too often, we engage in conversations that put a negative spotlight on our body sizes and difference. What if we celebrated our bodies? Celebrated our differences, our sizes, our shapes? Think about the potential impact of those changed conversations.

What if we all thought about the uniqueness of our bodies the way 4-year-old Sophia does?

The message is simple – you are unique, and beauty is not about being skinny

. With National Eating Disorders Awareness Week this week, take some time to think about how you talk about your body, and celebrate everything unique about it! For more information about developing positive body image, and steps you can take, visit

the NEDA Website: