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Episode 44: Our View on The Little Tykes Stationary Bike and Its Effects on Body Image with Dr. Karytko
Recently I was disappointed to come across an advertisement for an exercise bike designed for children. Children should be getting exercise from sports or playing throughout the day and the message that toys like these are sending may cause insecurities in children. Dr. Karytko joins me to discuss the harmful effects that this toy and others may have on a child’s self-esteem and body image. These toys may not be the individual reason for an eating disorder, but the way they are perceived may cause a long-lasting impact on your child’s mental health.
Dr. Karytko is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Wellesley, Massachusetts providing care for a wide range of patients with expertise in the treatment of trauma, eating disorders, substance use disorders and co-occurring issues. Dr. K has been active in the eating disorder professional community in the Boston area and loves to support those dealing with major life struggles.
In this episode we discuss:
- Our view on the Little Tykes stationary bike and how it can affect the way that children view exercise
- Toys that are targeted towards children that may negatively impact body image
- How America’s diet culture is affecting our children
- Possible causes of an increase in younger children having negative body image
- Ways parents can help their children who may have an eating disorder
Resources:
- National Eating Disorder Association
- Psychology Today
- Zencare.co
- Multi-service Eating Disorders Association
- Maintenance Phase podcast
- @Foodsciencebabe
Connect with Dr. Karytko:
Connect with Lynzy:
- Join the Motherhood Meets Medicine community at patreon.com/motherhoodmeetsmedicine
- Instagram: @motherhoodmeetsmedicine
- Sign up for the weekly newsletter here
Questions Asked In The Episode:
- What can we do as far as teaching our children about body image and boosting their self-esteem?
- Is it true that a child’s self-esteem is most affected when they’re young?
- As a parent, what are some warning signs and what can I do if I have concerns about my child’s self-esteem?
- What would be your advice for a parent who has negative body images of themselves and does not want to pass that on to their child?
- What is so harmful about children copying their parents without talking about weight or health?
- Is it a bad idea to allow older children to use a Peloton?
- My husband’s family doesn’t eat healthy, how do I make sure that’s not passed on to my child?
- Is there a better indicator to use to measure health than BMI?
