Feeling Fat Can Lead to Suicide

We all know dwelling on your weight is a downer. But did you know that thinking about being fat can lead to suicide?

Researchers at Georgia State University have found that the mere perception of being overweight among girls raises the probability of suicidal thoughts by 5.6 percent, the probability of a suicide attempts by 3.2 percent and the probability of injury causing suicide attempts by 0.6 percent.

That's scary. How can you prevent your daughter from becoming a victim of bad body image, especially in a culture that emphasizes thinness? ParentDish spoke to author and self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner on how to build your daughter's body confidence.

What can parents say to kids to encourage healthy body image?

Building a child's self esteem isn't just about what you say. It's how you eat, relate to your own body, and whether you as a parent apply media influence on beauty standards to your own life. It isn't enough to tell your kid, "You are beautiful." You must act as though you feel beautiful yourself. Girls look to parents for how to model a s realistic relationship with their bodies. The first step is to stop talking negatively about your body ("Ugh, Mommy feels fat") and don't be hyper critical of her body either ("Should you be eating that?"). A conversation about body image should be ongoing and frequent, not just an off-hand conversation. Use everyday activities such as passing a billboard with a racy ad to talk to your teen about what she thinks of the message it sends.

How can kids stop thinking about their weight?

The hard truth is that it's impossible to stop a kid's thoughts but you can change the way she thinks about it. Help your kid put her weight in perspective. Weight is just one gauge of health, it doesn't always provide the full picture. If obesity runs in your family, don't make it a taboo topic. Discuss it like you would hereditary blue eyes or pale skin. That way you destigmatize the issue and make it less scary. Then help your child deal with the choices she makes every day by putting the emphasis on being a well-rounded healthy person. It's also important that your child becomes media-savvy. Advertisements are heavily retouched to represent a "perfect" body. If she understands that, she'll be less prone to outside negative influences.

How would you know if your daughter is suffering from poor body image, especially if she never talks about it?

There are plenty of non-verbal cues your kid will give if she is struggling with her self-esteem. Examples are tugging at her clothes, changing outfits frequently, getting emotional when getting dressed or going shopping, withdrawing from her favorite activities, having a preoccupation with beauty or dieting, and speaking in the "language of fat."

Does your daughter frequently say, Ugh I feel fat, This looks horrible, or I wish I had Lisa's body? Instead of arguing that she isn't fat, find out what being fat means to her. Since there are plenty of overweight people who are healthy and successful, a fear of fat isn't just about weight -- it's about being unworthy, undesirable, and a failure.

How can you open the dialogue with your daughter about this touchy topic?

It's a messy, awkward conversation -- so just jump right in. Let your kid know you'd like to talk about body image –- that you realize it may trigger confusing feelings but you're prepared to listen to how she feels. Admit that the topic is confusing to many women but that she has to love her body as is and care for it in a powerful way. Use magazine articles or television shows to prompt the conversation. Tell her so-and-so TV show got you thinking and that you know too many women who hate their bodies and you don't want her to be one of them.

Another idea: Take the Dove Self-Esteem Workshop together. It offers great interactive exercises to better understand media pressure. Be bold and take a risk -- she is worth it and so are you!