Vitamin G

Body Image: Did You Grow Up in a "Naked House"?

Did you ever see your parents walk around naked when you were growing up? When I was in high school, one of my friends' lived in a naked house--you know, mom, dad, kids who often walked around sans clothing like it was no big deal. I don't think they considered themselves nudists; I just don't think they liked clothes. It made me wonder about you--and the whole nudity/body image debate...

****My old friend's clothes-optional family always kind of freaked me out. Whenever I'd drop by, I was never quite certain of the degree of nakedness in which I might find them in. I was especially worried about walking in and finding her dad nude on the couch (um, nightmare!). Fortunately that never happened.

But I hear from others that naked houses aren't too unusual, even though it's hard for me to relate to. For the record: I grew up in a home where everyone wore clothes all the time--thank goodness.

So, I was wondering: Do naked houses scar kids for life, or help them along in accepting their body? Parents magazine had an interesting excerpt on the topic of family nudity and what it may mean for body image later in life:

"You'd probably never see this question in a European magazine, muses sex therapist Dennis Sugrue, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and coauthor of Sex Matters for Women (Guilford Press). Despite our culture's constant barrage of sexy media images, 'here in the United States, we get pretty uptight when it comes to baring it all,' he observes. 'Yet, the truth is that nudity in the home, when handled in a respectful, matter-of-fact way, is perfectly natural and certainly not harmful.' In fact, research suggests that children who have seen their parents nude do not grow up to be emotionally scarred, but instead are more likely to be accepting of their own bodies and comfortable with their own sexuality."

Tell me: Did you grow up in a house where everyone kept their clothes on, or a house where clothes were optional? Did this affect your own body image in a positive or a negative way?

While we're talking...

How did your mom shape your body image?

How Gwyneth helped me learn to love my body.

Do you lie about your size?

Photo: iStock

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