Parenting for Positive Body Image with Charlotte Markey, PhD

Parenting for Positive Body Image with Charlotte Markey, PhD

April 2, 2026 · 32 min · Season 347 · Episode 11

About this episode

Charlotte Markey, PhD discusses body image and parenting strategies for fostering a positive self-image in children.

Body image scientist and researcher Charlotte Markey, PhD joins us to discuss the many factors that impact body image and how parents can help their kids develop a positive sense of self. Christy and Charlotte both share examples from their own parenting, including how to handle tricky conversations about body size, gender, and more. They also unpack the difference between body positivity and body neutrality—and why the popular definitions of those terms are different from their use in research. Behind the paywall, Charlotte explains how she thinks about makeup for girls, adaptive vs maladaptive grooming routines, ways to tell if a kid is struggling with body dysmorphia, and a six-step process for helping young people develop media literacy. This episode is cross-posted from our other podcast, Rethinking Wellness . Charlotte Markey, Ph.D ., is a body image scientist and researcher, having studied all things body image and eating behaviors for nearly 30 years! She is passionate about understanding what makes us feel good about our bodies and helping people to develop a healthy body image and relationship with food. Charlotte is a psychology professor at Rutgers University and has…

People in this episode

Host: Christy Harrison

Guest: Charlotte Markey

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rutgers University

Books & works: The Body Image Book for Girls, The Body Image Book for Boys, Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life

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