"My 9-year-old daughter has started making comments about her 'big tummy' and wanting to go on a diet. She's perfectly healthy. How do I handle this before it becomes an issue?"

— Healthy Habits

It's heartbreaking to hear these words from such a young child. At 9, she is likely picking this up from peers, social media, or even the 'diet culture' that permeates our world. The best thing you can do is shift the conversation from how her body *looks* to what her body *does*. Celebrate her strength, her energy, her coordination. When she makes a comment about her tummy, you can say, 'That tummy is part of the amazing body that helps you dance/run/climb trees! We don't need to change it; we need to fuel it.' Also, check your own 'mirror talk.' Even if you don't talk about weight, she is watching how you treat your own body. Model self-compassion, and she will learn to do the same.