Warning Signs

A teen with a distorted body image will display some symptoms. According to the website of Kaiser Permanente, a managed health care consortium based in Oakland, California, caregivers of teens should watch for the following: Obsessing about food, weight and eating; avoiding meals or social situations that involve food, binge-eating followed by trips to the bathroom, excessive and compulsive calorie counting and exercising and dramatic changes in appearance such as hair and weight loss, tooth decay, brittle nails and dark circles appearing under the eyes. While teens naturally experience some nervousness about performing in public venues, anxiety over their appearance while performing in sports is another signal for caregivers that a teen may be experiencing body image issues.

Causes

Psychologists and psychiatrists don't have a tidy answer to the question of what causes a teen to have a distorted body image. The reasons are as individual as each teen afflicted. According to North Shore Pediatric Therapy, a leading Chicago-based clinic specializing in psychological care for children, no single cause exists for body image distortion. Information on the clinic's website indicates one of the underlying causes for body image distortion can be overall stress in the individual's life versus actual unhappiness with their body. Kaiser Permanente lists depression and genetics as potential causes for a teen to have a distorted body image.

Media Influence

For some teens, the continual images of the perfectly thin and perfectly groomed displayed in the media are too overwhelming. They feel they cannot measure up. According to Teens In Charge, this is particularly true for teen girls: Media standards for the ideal body are highly unrealistic for the mainstream population. Teens In Charge points out that the ideal woman who is shown in the media weighs an average of 23 percent less than the average woman.

Guys Affected, Too

Many teenage boys experience body image distortion. Many teen guys suffer from worries about how they look in the mirror and in public -- especially with their shirts off. According to She Knows Parenting, the "am I fat" question is regularly raised by the guys too. The pressure is just as real for males but takes yet another twist: They also worry regularly about being "too skinny" or "too whimpy-looking." Muscle development -- especially in the arms, chest and abs -- is a huge issue for teen boys.

How To Help

Tell teens their bodies are fine just they way they are. That's part of the advice from Thriving Family, where the idea of affirming all different body types is promoted. The site also suggests parents and caregivers refrain from projecting negative attitudes about their own bodies around teens. Focus on healthy eating; not weight loss or weight gain. Exercise with your teens.

Professional Help

Seeking professional help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of recognition that assistance is needed. Err on the side of safety and protection for your teen's future if you suspect she is seriously struggling with body image issues. A professional counselor will sort out the issues through evaluation and talking and recommend a treatment plan.

Limit Social Media

While social media can be an effective tool for remaining in close contact with family and friends, it also can have detrimental effects on teens, especially when it seems their images don't measure up to their peers. This can be particularly true of Facebook with its never-ending feed of images and activity descriptions. A teen girl with less-than-developed breasts might easily view herself as inferior after seeing image after image of other teen girls nearly bursting out of their bikini tops. A teen guy whose page doesn't feature a bunch of hot girls hanging off his arms might consider himself less attractive when he views pictures of other guys surrounded by girls. Thriving Family suggests parents and caregivers monitor teens social media accounts as part of a reality check to ward off any unhealthy body images.