Parental Perspectives on Their Child’s Body Image

Poor body image is a prominent issue affecting youth. In this nationally representative online survey, we explored parents' concerns about their child's appearance, as well as their perceptions of their child's body image concerns and related behaviors and interactions with others. Among the 1653 respondents, weight was parents' most cited body image concern, while more parents perceived that their child was self-conscious about their weight than there were parents concerned about their child's weight. Parental perceptions related to their child's body image can inform providers' efforts to address poor body image, such as around weight, and improve the health and self-esteem of their pediatric patients.