“I think what goes on at home and what comes out of the media are both involved,” says Dr. Stephanie Setliff, a psychiatrist on the medical staff at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. She has seen girls as young as 6 worry about their weight.

Magazines and TV shows that glorify ultra-thin models and pop stars lead kids to think such unrealistic goals are the norm, she says. Parents who obsess over their own eating or exercise can make things worse. And, statistics show that as many as 80 percent of individuals who develop an eating disorder began their dysfunctional relationship with food through dieting.

“Two messages need to be transmitted,” says Dr. Setliff. “One is that people come in all different shapes and sizes. The other is that we need to focus on children’s strength and self-esteem and sense of accomplishment, not just on their bodies.”

In a recent study of Girl Scouts in fifth and sixth grades, about 30 percent said they were doing something to lose weight. Most took moderate steps, University of Minnesota researchers found. Girls ate more fruits and vegetables, for instance, or less high-fat foods — key ingredients of a healthy eating plan. And yet at that age (10, on average) any kind of dieting to lose weight can affect growth and raise risks of fatigue, irritability, low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders.

The Minnesota study turned up other disquieting results. Even though they were dieting, a third of the girls said they didn’t think of themselves as overweight. And a few resorted to extreme practices, like taking laxatives or diet pills.

Today, of course, more youths are overweight than in the past. Those cases require a broad approach that includes a change in eating habits, exercise and education, along with less television, Dr. Setliff says.