Transcript Helping Adolescents Develop A Positive Body Image Mr. Callahan’s 8th Grade Wellness Body Image … Exactly what is it ?

Helping Adolescents
Develop
A Positive Body
Image
Mr. Callahan’s 8th Grade
Wellness
Body Image …
Exactly what is it ?
Gonna dance till I
don’t jiggle like jello!
A girl can never
be too thin !
I’ve got the LOOK !
I give up!
Got to get PUMPED up!
Students in middle school, in
the midst of puberty, begin to
establish an individual
identity outside the family
unit.
Take thirty seconds
to think of risk
factors students
may have a poor
body image
Risk Factors
•Gender
•Low self-esteem
•Timing of maturation
•Disordered eating
Protective Factors
•Healthy self-esteem
•Positive feelings about
physical changes in
puberty
•Accurate information
about puberty
•Healthy eating &
exercise
Body
dissatisfaction
is the single strongest
predictor of eating
disorder symptomology
for adolescents
Body image
is not inborn …
Body image
is LEARNED
Body Image Questionnaire
How well do
you measure up ??
Let’s find
out …
Yes, write
your answers.
Body Image Questionnaire
1. I am constantly thinking about my
body size, shape and weight, and
I’m always working to improve it.
2. I would be much happier and my
life would be better if I were
thinner or more muscular.
3. I commonly skip meals to lose
weight.
4. I weigh myself at least once a day.
5. I know or want to know how many
calories are in the foods I eat.
6. I workout mainly to lose weight or to
look better.
7. I completely exclude foods from one
or more food groups to manage my
weight.
8. I don’t participate in sports or other
activities because I’m embarrassed
about my body.
9. I like to wear oversized clothes to
hide “flaws” in my appearance.
10. When I see a model in a magazine
or on TV, I want to look like him or
her.
How Did
You Do?
If you answered
“YES” to …
3
or more questions …
you may have a negative
body image
From where does our
learning of negative body
image come?
Review
The Positive Factors
Focus on characteristics
Peers
Positive Social Group
The Big 3
The Media
Parents
Peers
The
Media
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
We’ve just seen the
myths,
now let’s see the
facts!
The AVERAGE
American female
is 5’ 4” tall and
weighs 140 lbs
The AVERAGE
American model
is 5’ 11” and
weighs 117 lbs
The men & women
on magazine covers
represent about
0.03%
of the population
• Girls are generally more
influenced by body image, with
28% to 55% wanting thinner
bodies compared to 17% to 30%
of boys
• At age 10-11 years, 80% of girls
are convinced they should be
thinner
• Over 33% of adolescent girls
report aggressive weight control
measures such as chronic dieting,
excessive exercise, self-induced
vomiting, and abuse of laxative,
diet aids, and water pills
• 17.8% of 11-14 year old girls
have gone on diets in the past 6
months
The
#1 wish
for girls ages 11-17
is to be
thinner
The Diet Industry is a
$40 Billion
per year
business in the
United States
Cosmetic Surgery
is the fastest growing
medical specialty
in the United States
About 1 million American males
have tried steroids at least once
to improve their physique.
Up to
6% have taken
them by the age of
18 years
Peers
Being an adolescent
is tough …
• Teased by peers for being
too fat, too weak, too soft
• If you don’t play sports
you’re a wimp or a geek
• You have to measure up …
perfection!
Where does a
negative body
image take us?
Dying to
fit in …
Dying to
be thin …
Body obsession
can lead to
extreme dieting
and
exercise
Over one person’s lifetime
at least
50,000 individuals
will
DIE as a result of an
eating disorder
How to make peace with
your body and body image
•Understand how your bodies
change during puberty
• Listen to what your friends say
& discourage “put-downs” about
their or others’ appearance
•Reassure your friend that you
accept them “as is”.
• Encourage physical activities
such as biking, walking, or
roller-blading that enable you
to experience the physical
strength of your body & the
positive feeling of movement
regardless of body shape or
size
Wearing favorite clothes
or getting a new haircut
often allows you to feel
comfortable with
yourselves
•
Finally ...
We can’t exchange our bodies
for new ones. So the best
thing is to find peace with the
one you have. Your body is
where you’re going to be living
for the rest of your life!