Digital facial image modification, body image, and parental support for dietary and physical activity behaviors

To explore the effects of digital facial image modification on children's body image and on parental support for children's healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors.

Children and their parents were exposed to a novel image modification program that altered children's facial photographs to reflect weight loss and weight gain. The influences of facial image modification on children's body image and on parental support of children's healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors were measured with before and after surveys.

Eighty-one children and their parents were surveyed. Forty percent of children were at risk for overweight or overweight, and 59% of parents surveyed were overweight or obese. Parents' support for children's healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors significantly increased after parents viewed altered facial images of their child. In contrast, no change in children's body image measures was demonstrated after children viewed weight-altered photographs of themselves.

Facial image modification programs do not appear to have a detrimental effect on children's body image in the immediate post-exposure period. Image alteration may serve as an effective motivating tool to encourage parents to facilitate healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors in their children.