Raising Joy Podcast: Promoting Positive Body Image with Akemi Watkins, M.D.
In this conversation, we discuss how parents should discuss body image in a positive way and how important it is to shift the narrative.
Listen to Episode 15 of the Raising Joy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also listen on our YouTube channel. The podcast is part of the JOY Campaign, which launched in April 2021 as a suicide prevention communication initiative, and aims to reach parents through honest conversations about the mental wellbeing of children and teens.
No matter who you are, chances are you’ve struggled with body image at some point in life. For children, thoughts of inadequacy can begin early, especially if they have a parent or caregiver who speaks negatively about themselves. On this episode of Raising Joy, Cook Children’s psychiatrist Akemi Watkins, M.D., joins us to talk about fostering a healthy mindset about body image, for both children and ourselves.
She also tackles tough questions like what to do if a family member feels it’s OK to comment on the body size of others – and how we can help kids and teens navigate the filtered world of social media. We also delve into the real dangers of children seeking validation outside of themselves, especially online. If you’re a parent or someone who cares about a child in your life, this episode is for you.
Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.
New episodes of the Raising Joy podcast will be available each Tuesday. It is currently available on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts and YouTube.
About Cook Children's
Cook Children’s Health Care System embraces an inspiring Promise – to improve the health of every child through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, we’re proud of our long and rich tradition of serving our community. Our not-for-profit organization is comprised of nine companies, including our Medical Center, Physician Network, Home Health company, Northeast Hospital, Pediatric Surgery Center, Health Plan, Health Services Inc., Child Study Center and Health Foundation. With more than 60 primary, specialty and urgent care locations throughout Texas, families can access our top-ranked specialty programs and network of services to meet the unique needs of their child. For 100 years, we’ve worked to improve the health of children from across our primary service area of Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties. We combine the art of caring with leading technology and extraordinary collaboration to provide exceptional care for every child. This has earned Cook Children’s a strong, far-reaching reputation with patients traveling from around the country and the globe to receive life-saving pediatric care. For more information, visit cookchildrens.org.
