Tips on how to survive a summer at the beach

With temperatures on the rise, people are spending more time at the beach or by the pool in an attempt to cool down. But tan lines and sunburns are not the only thoughts that can plague people's minds during the summer; many teenage girls go through a lot of unnecessary stress over the thought of how they look in a bikini.

In fact, many grown women can also identify with feelings of anxiety over wearing a swimsuit - a type of stress that can be traced back to adolescence.

"Disturbances like eating disorders and body image problems tend to appear in the teenage years due to increased societal pressures to have an ideal appearance," explains child psychologist Jennifer Kittler, PhD, at Bradley Hospital in Providence, RI.

There is no doubt that in Western society, thin is in. From fashion runways to TV shows, pop culture worships a lithe physique.

"Girls are constantly bombarded with media messages to mimic a physical ideal depicted by body-baring swimwear or lingerie models in magazines and catalogues," Kittler explains.

Parents can best help their daughters (and themselves) overcome body-image anxiety by reinforcing the notion that we ourselves are our own worst critics.

"Most other people will not be scrutinizing their body and appearance nearly as closely as they are looking at themselves," says Kittler. "For example, do you notice the cellulite on others' thighs from ten feet away?"

Give yourself a reality check next time you're at the beach or pool.

"Most real women do not look like models, and even the models in magazines have been airbrushed to hide imperfections. Magazines and catalogues do not depict reality," Kittler says.

In addition, Bradley Hospital child psychologist Jennifer Dyl, PhD, says that making the right choice about a swimsuit can go a long way to building one's confidence.

"Teens should choose a bathing suit they feel comfortable in; if you feel self-conscious or over-exposed, you will spend your time worried about how you look rather than enjoying yourself," Dyl says.

Dyl also suggests that young women engage in fun physical activities such as swimming or volleyball that get them focused on what their bodies do, rather than how their bodies look.

"This builds self-esteem and helps them feel better in their own skin," she says.

Founded in 1931 as the nation's first psychiatric hospital for children, Bradley Hospital (www.bradleyhospital.org) remains a premier medical institution devoted exclusively to the research and treatment of childhood psychiatric illnesses.