Raising Body-Positive Girls in a Filtered World

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Kids & Family, Health & Fitness, Parenting

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’re raising girls in a world where filters are the norm, “what I eat in a day” videos flood their feeds, and puberty hits earlier than ever. It’s no wonder body image struggles start young. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Melisa Holmes to talk about how parents can help their daughters build confidence in their changing bodies without shame, fear, or comparison. We’ll cover how to talk about puberty in age-appropriate ways, what to do when kids start noticing body differences, and how to handle tricky moments like when your child says, “I feel fat.” You’ll also learn: Why body image starts long before puberty What not to say (and what helps instead) How your own body talk shapes how your child feels about theirs How social media is shaping kids’ self-worth—and what parents can do about it To connect with Dr. Melisa Holmes check out all her resources at https://girlology.com/. Follow her on Instagram at @dr.melisa.holmes and @girlology. For 20% off an annual subscription (after a free 7 day trial) go HERE and use this code: PedsDocTalk to activate your discount. We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! 00:00 – The First Signs of Body Image Struggles 02:03 – Welcome, Dr. Melisa Holmes 03:06 – Breaking the Silence Between Generations 04:01 – Media, AI, and the Shifting Ideal 04:48 – Why It Starts So Young 07:02 – Boys, Girls, and Body Pressure 08:33 – Growing Up in a Filtered World 09:34 – Teaching Media Literacy and Self-Protection 12:07 – Modeling Confidence from the Start 15:23 – How Parents Pass Down Body Shame 20:22 – Reclaiming Joy in Food and Movement 22:49 – Puberty Talks Without the Awkwardness 26:51 – Raising Compassionate Boys Too 30:33 – Supporting Emotional Changes in Puberty 33:33 – What Every Girl Should Know About Her Body 36:22 – Parents, Schools, and the Role of Education 38:40 – Final Takeaway Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Yeah, you know, I'm with you. I have seen girls in my practice as young as five or six talk about their fat tummy or how they need to be skinny.
0:08.1	And there's definitely some evidence that shows that body image concerns can start as early as the preschool years, like three to six.
0:15.1	But what's consistent across all of this and where I think we can really focus our efforts is that by middle school,
0:22.1	half. And some studies say up to 66% of girls are unhappy with their bodies. And by high school,
0:29.0	that bumps up to 80%. Hey, welcome to the show. It's me, Dr. Mona, your trusted online doctor, confidant,
0:42.5	and mom friend here to support you through every twist and turn of parenting. You're listening
0:47.4	to the show where we have honest, evidence-based conversations to help you raise confident,
0:51.3	compassionate, and grounded children. October 11th was International Day of the Girl Child, a day meant to highlight the challenges
0:58.9	girls face and to celebrate their power, potential, and right to grow up confident and
1:04.6	respected and isn't that right.
1:06.9	But here's the reality.
1:08.3	By middle school, more than half of girls say that they're unhappy with their bodies.
1:11.6	And by high school, that number jumps to 80%. What are we doing as a society when our girls,
1:17.5	and maybe boys as well, are growing up believing that their worth depends on how they look instead of who they are?
1:23.4	Body image isn't just a girl issue. It's a human one. I'm raising both a son and a daughter,
1:28.3	and I think about this a lot, how they see me talk about my body, how they hear us say that we're
1:33.3	working out because it makes us feel good, not because we have to. We want them both to know that
1:38.5	their bodies are for living in, not for performing in. Today I'm joined by Dr. Melissa Holmes,
1:43.9	board certified OBGYN and co-founder
1:45.9	of Girlology, a platform that's changing how families talk about puberty, body image, and self-worth
1:51.6	with confidence and zero cringe. We'll talk about how early body image issues begin, how parents can
1:57.5	model healthy relationships with our own bodies bodies and how to make puberty talks
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr. Mona Amin, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dr. Mona Amin and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.