Before bed, my daughter gets to ask three questions from the day. Recently, after an afternoon at the pool, she asked whether I thought some of the adults there had cancer.
For context, my father-in-law has cancer and has recently lost a lot of weight. We talk about it as a family, and she understands that the disease makes it difficult for his body to process food.
I asked what made her think of cancer, and she said they looked skinny, “like Papa.”
Deep breath. It was a casual question, and I loved that she was trying to make sense of something by considering something she knew. She is really good at making connections.
I had noticed the changes too, but I'd made a different connection: GLP-1 medication. I know one of the women took it and may still take it. It’s not my business and it doesn't explain everyone else. Both of us were creating stories based on what we knew.
“We know why Papa's body has changed because we've talked about his illness. Other people's bodies can change for different reasons. We can't know just by looking at them.”
But it also brought up a conversation I'd been wondering how to have. How do we help our kids understand health when so much of the messaging around them celebrates getting smaller?
The Messages Around the Medicine
GLP-1 medications can help treat conditions including diabetes and obesity. For some people, they are an important part of their medical care. That's something we can explain to children while respecting that a person's treatment is personal.
The advertising adds another layer. Catchy jingles. Before-and-after pictures. Shopping for smaller clothes. The suggestion that changing your body is fun and creates a better life.
I found an article from eating disorder prevention nonprofit WithAll that asks parents to consider what children hear in those messages. An adult may recognize an advertisement for a treatment option. A child may hear that being smaller makes someone happier or more accepted.
Meanwhile, I am preparing my daughter for puberty. Her body will grow and change. She may need different clothes and shifts in her appetites.
I wonder how my explanations land alongside all the enthusiasm about adults getting smaller. What do our girls take from it? And what can we say that helps them feel comfortable growing?
We Can Feel the Pull Too
I understand the appeal more than I'd like to admit. I tried an experimental peptide for a month after the marketing wore me down. I framed it as a short experiment during a busy holiday season.
That experience belongs here because I don't want to write as though I'm somehow outside the influence of modern marketing. I value consistent movement, nourishing food, and sleep. Still, the promise of something that could make a busy month feel easier got my attention.
Other adults have their own reasons, needs, and pressures. Some seek treatment for a medical condition, while others may hope to change their appearance. Those reasons can overlap.
What I want my daughter to understand is that we can respect someone's decision while questioning the messages that suggest everyone should want the same result.
Finding the Words
If she asks why someone is losing weight, I can leave room for an honest answer:
“People lose weight for different reasons. Sometimes it's related to an illness or treatment. Sometimes they want to look different. We may not know their reason.”
If she asks whether being smaller makes someone healthier:
“Size is one piece of information. It doesn't tell us everything about someone's health or how they feel.”
And if an ad makes a smaller body look like the beginning of a better life, we can get curious:
“What do you think they're promising?”
“Do you think changing someone's size changes everything else about their life?”
For her own body, the message can stay simple:
“You are growing. Your body needs enough food, rest, movement, and care.”
I also need to notice what I say. I use words like lean, toned, athletic, glowing, or strong. They may feel different from “skinny,” but I need to consider what my daughter hears in them.
I want her to enjoy moving and feel capable. I don't want those words to become another description she thinks her body has to match.
Room to Grow
I give my daughter three questions before bed, but sometimes one of hers leaves me with a few of my own. What has she noticed? What have I helped her believe? What am I still figuring out myself?
I don't need to have a perfect explanation for every message she will hear about bodies. I can keep asking what she thinks, be honest about what I know, and pay attention to the words I use when she's listening.
For now, I want her to enjoy an afternoon at the pool, eat when she's hungry, and tell me when her swimsuit doesn't fit anymore without thinking she needs to change herself to fit it.
I hope she keeps bringing me her questions, and that our conversations help her feel a little more at home in the body she's growing into.
For more language to use at home, Atria shares practical guidance for talking with kids about GLP-1 medications and body image.
Want more ways to start the conversation?
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