An Expert’s Guide On How To Talk To Your Daughter About Body Image and Food

By Alexandra Cortina

As a nutritionist, trainee transpersonal psychotherapist and mother, I see how early conversations about food and bodies shape a girl’s relationship with nourishment and with herself. The words we use, and the emotional tone we bring, matter more than we often realise.

Girls absorb powerful messages about their bodies and eating from an early age, often before we are aware of their impact. These messages come from social media, peers, school culture and very often from home. They land in developing nervous systems during years when belonging and approval feel especially important.

This work is also personal. Like many families, ours was shaped by the disruption of Covid and the emotional impact of divorce. During that time, my daughter struggled with her relationship to food. It reminded me that even in homes where food is valued and care is present, periods of instability can leave children feeling unmoored in their bodies. Food is rarely the issue on its own.

My approach is not about perfect language. It is about creating an environment where food, meals and bodies are part of everyday care rather than something to fix.

Food is here for Nourishment

In both my nutritional work and psychotherapy training, food is rarely the real issue. It is often a response to stress, comparison or emotional overload.

I am intentional with language. I say food is here for nourishment.
Not food as reward. Nourishment includes energy, growth, brain development, mood and steadiness alongside enjoyment and satisfaction. This framing helps children trust that eating is a normal and supportive part of caring for themselves.

Meals support the nervous system

We talk a lot about food choices, but far less about meals. Yet meals are where rhythm, safety and connection live.

Sitting down to eat, sharing meals when possible and slowing the pace helps the nervous system settle. When a child is calm and regulated, digestion, appetite cues and body awareness are easier to access. A relaxed meal is often more nourishing than a perfect plate.

3. The body is not an object

It can be helpful to remind girls that their bodies are not something to be looked at or evaluated, but something they live through.

A body allows movement, sport, creativity, learning and connection. When we shift focus from how a body looks to what it can do, we support confidence, embodiment and respect.

What we model matters

Girls learn a great deal by watching the adults around them.

They notice how we speak to ourselves, how we move in our bodies and how comfortable we seem taking up space, whether that is getting dressed, walking on a beach or sitting at a table. Modelling ease does not mean loving your body every day. It means relating to it with respect and presence.

.Creating a supportive environment

Homes that value presence alongside achievement, and rest alongside effort, tend to support more flexible relationships with food and the body. When children feel supported rather than managed, their nervous systems are more likely to settle, making it easier to stay connected to hunger, fullness and internal cues.

Alexandra offers one-to-one nutritional therapy for individuals and families, with a focus on nourishment, nervous system support and sustainable change. Find out more at meyahealth.com.

As seen in Hip and Healthy https://hipandhealthy.com/an-experts-guide-on-how-to-talk-to-your-daughter-about-body-image-and-food/