A Government-backed guide to help parents teach their children to be confident about their bodies has been launched.
Parents are encouraged to make youngsters aware that many depictions of celebrities and models are enhanced in some way through the media and advertisements.
The guide stresses the notion that the so-called perfect body, and the emphasis on skinniness, is a "socially and culturally constructed ideal".
The pack contains before-and-after touched-up images of celebrities such as Britney Spears.
Earlier this week a coroner blamed the fashion industry for the death of 14-year-old Fiona Geraghty, found hanged in her home last year after suffering from eating disorder bulimia.
Michael Rose, the West Somerset Coroner, called on magazines and catwalks to stop using thin models.
The new parent pack was described by Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone as an important contribution to the Government's campaign to boost body confidence among children.
It will empower parents to "have those difficult conversations" with their children, she said.
"Young people are being set an impossible standard by images in media and advertising which can erode their self esteem. As parents, we are often aware of these issues but may not have the advice and guidance we need to talk to our children."
The parent pack follows a similar guide for primary school teachers, which has been downloaded 1,500 times since its launch last year.
Both are produced by Media Smart, a non-profit organisation that aims to teach 6 to 11-year-olds to think critically about what they see in the media.
Media Smart chairman Paul Jackson said: "We have been overwhelmed by the response we have had to the body image teacher pack, both in terms of the volume of responses and the enthusiasm with which it has been received.
"We have found that children respond really well when they realise that most of the images they see have been altered in some way and are aspirational but not realistic."