Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma: A Practical Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Clinicians
Book Details
- Publisher : Routledge
- Published : March 2026
- Cover : Paperback
- Pages : 194
- Category :
Forthcoming - Category 2 :
Child and Adolescent Studies - Catalogue No : 98469
- ISBN 13 : 9781041141006
- ISBN 10 : 1041141009
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This practical guide empowers parents, educators, and clinicians with the tools they require to free children and young adults from body shame and weight stigma.
Dr. Hartman delivers exactly what parents, educators, and clinicians need: real conversations, proven scripts, protocols, and actionable strategies to navigate challenging discussions about bodies, food, and health, backed by medical expertise. This book is organized into targeted sections for different audiences and charts a path toward a future where young people can embrace ease and individuality, free from diets and societal expectations about bodies.
Drawing from both scientific research and real-world practice, the book presents a compelling case for weight-neutral care that respects the diversity of human bodies while promoting sustainable health. Designed to be accessible and efficient with clearly organized sections, concise summaries, and ready-to-use resources for each context, it offers strategies for repair when conversations about weight and health haven't gone as intended. Whether you're a doctor in an exam room, a parent at the dinner table, or a teacher in a classroom, this book will help you feel confident and prepared to have these conversations in a way that prioritizes health without perpetuating stigma or harm.
Reviews and Endorsements
Dr. Hartman provides parents, healthcare providers, and educators with a helpful, practical resource to reduce the weight stigma that kids and teens experience across multiple settings. In so doing, she lights the way forward for better health outcomes, reduction in eating disorders, and a lifetime improvement in the way young people will interact with food and their bodies.
Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD, CEDS-C, FAED, founder and medical director of the Gaudiani Clinic. Author of Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders and Undernutrition
People who care deeply about children now have a practical guide for supporting positive body image and a healthy relationship with food. With compelling personal stories, robust research, and realistic practical strategies, Dr. Hartman's book is essential for anyone who wants the next generation to thrive.
Oona Hanson, educator and parent coach
Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma is a practical guide for addressing weight stigma and building body confidence in young people. Dr. Hartman provides clear strategies, ready-to-use scripts, and real-world examples to help parents, educators, and healthcare providers shift the focus from weight to improving health behaviors that help kids thrive. This book equips readers with the tools to create spaces where kids can grow up feeling confident in their bodies, free from shame, and still receive the medical care they need.
Signe Darpinian, LMFT, CEDS, author of Raising Body Positive Teens, No Weigh!, and A Woman’s Guide to Menopause, Body Image, and Emotional Well-being at Midlife
Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma is an essential resource for anyone who is working with kids and their health. Dr. Hartman offers clinicians, parents, and educators practical tools to support kids’ well-being without focusing on weight. This book shows how we can create homes, clinics, and schools where all children feel safe and valued in their bodies.
Aaron Flores, RDN, certified body trust specialist and host of the Men Unscripted Podcast
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I am often asked: What is the best way to talk about this taboo topic with my child? Parents come with deep love for their kids, real fear, and a desperate wish to get it right - while we clinicians also face a knowledge gap in guiding these conversations. This book's clear rationale, approachable messaging, and practical methodology make an intimidating subject feel accessible and empowering for both parents and professionals alike. A must-read!
Allison Baker, MD,child and adolescent psychiatrist, private practice and Harvard Medical School
Bringing her years of experience as an adolescent medicine specialist, Dr. Lauren Hartman exposes the harmful impact of weight stigma on youth in healthcare, education, and parenting. This evidence-based guide provides practical tools, honest scripts, and actionable strategies to support young people in building resilience and self-worth-without shame or reliance on scales. Compassionate and empowering, Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma is an essential resource for fostering effective and empathetic communication, health, confidence, and acceptance in adolescents."
Sara Buckelew, MD, MPH, director of UCSF Eating Disorder Program; chair of Adolescent Medicine UCSF
Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma should be required reading for all healthcare providers, educators, and parents. Dr. Hartman offers concrete tools, scripts, and strategies to dismantle weight stigma, nurture positive body image, and prioritize behaviors over weight. With its clear roadmap and actionable solutions, this book will help ensure that every young person feels safe, supported, and respected in every setting, from the doctor’s office to their own home.
Wendy Sterling, MS, RD, CSSD, CEDS-S, author of Raising Body Positive Teens and No Weigh!
Rooted in clinical experience and backed by science, this book offers an empathetic and actionable framework for supporting kids of all sizes. Dr. Hartman brings both heart and expertise to a topic that urgently demands both.
Diana Gordon, PsyD, licensed psychologist, certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, SF Bay CBT
I have spent the past week using some of your methods in my practice especially during teenage check ups, and I've noticed it resonates with my patients. Asking about sleep, screen time, mental health, who/what makes them happy, what they are doing for cardiovascular fitness, for strength and flexibility has resulted in easier and more open conversations, and both teens and parents appear in a positive state by the end of the appointment. I am finding that specifically asking about these other parts of the teen's lives has given me an opportunity to more clearly share things that are obtainable and concrete, to result in a healthy lifestyle, in a judgement free manner. And the patients seem responsive and interested and engaged.
Jennifer Tenney, MD, pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente with 30 years of experience
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why this Book?
1. Weight Stigma and the Case for Health at Every Size
2. The Medical Setting: Reimagining the Clinician-Patient Relationship 3. Conversations That Heal: Communication Tools for Healthcare Clinicians
4. The Family Setting: Creating a Weight-Neutral Home Environment
5. Conversations That Nurture: Communication Tools for Parents and Caregivers
6. The Educational Setting: Building Inclusive School Environments
7. Conversations That Empower: Communication Tools for Educators
8. Special Considerations: Supporting Children with Complex Needs
9. When Harm Has Occurred: Strategies for Repair and Recovery
10. Advocacy and Systems Change: Creating Wider Impact
About the Author(s)
Dr. Lauren Hartman is double board-certified in pediatrics and adolescent medicine. She owns a private practice in California and specializes in eating disorder prevention and treatment.
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