#53: How can I support my daughter when it's normal at her school for girls to dislike their bodies?
with Phillippa Diedrichs, PhD
In this episode we discuss…
a listener question from the mom of a middle school-aged daughter
Phillippa’s background and long history studying body image
the research on the causes of body image concerns
the research on the consequences of body image concerns — and why they are not trivial
the influence of body image concerns on psychological and physical health
the range of evidence-based interventions and tools Phillippa has worked on to help young people improve their body image
Phillippa’s response to the listener question
using critical thinking to assess your motivation for engaging in exercise
when exercise may be healthy vs. harmful
research on body talk as a means to social connection for girls
the importance of working to change larger systems that can be part of the problem or solution
Phillippa’s answer to the million dollar question
this program focused on showing gratitude for your body
Season 3 premiere! We’re kicking off the season with our first body-positive parenting in real life question, from a listener wondering how to handle peer and friend influences on her middle school-aged daughter’s body image. We’re joined by the highly accomplished Dr. Phillippa Diedrichs to learn about the research on the causes and consequences of low body confidence, and what interventions really do help improve body image. We cover boutique fitness classes, athleisure, bonding through body talk, an exercise for parents to work on their own body image, and more.
Phillippa Diedrichs is an applied research psychologist with an international reputation for developing and evaluating evidence-based strategies to improve body image in community, education, corporate, and policy settings on a global scale. She has co-created body image interventions that have been delivered through industry and community partnerships to over 20 million young people across 142 countries. With a PhD in health psychology from The University of Queensland (Australia), Phillippa is passionate about working in partnership to create environments that accept diversity in appearance and support individuals, particularly girls and women, to live free from the constraint of appearance concerns. As a Professor of Psychology at the Centre for Appearance Research, University of the West of England (UK), she leads a team of researchers responsible for co-creating and evaluating body image interventions. This work is underpinned by her research investigating predictors and outcomes of body image concerns among child and adult populations, spanning topics such as advertising, social media, gender norms, eating disorder prevention, and weight-based prejudice and discrimination. Phillippa has authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Highly skilled in knowledge exchange and science communication, Phillippa has served as an advisor to the British Government on issues relating to body image and women’s empowerment. She regularly consults for businesses and nonprofit organisations on research and advocacy.
Connect with Phillippa on her website, Instagram, Twitter, and the Center for Appearance Research’s Twitter.
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