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Absolutely
every body
Part 1: A guide for teachers
Achieving a body-image friendly school community
A Health Promoting Schools approach
Centre for Health Promotion
Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service
Adelaide, 2011
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About this resource
Absolutely every body is a practical, easy to use resource to help schools implement a range of activities
relating to healthy body-image. It is based on a Health Promoting Schools framework and has been
developed by the Centre for Health Promotion.
> We acknowledge the important role of school communities in providing an environment which supports
and promotes healthy body-image behaviours.
Absolutely every body aims to:
> Help school communities promote healthy body-image and prevent body dissatisfaction.
> raise awareness of the importance of healthy body-image in addressing overweight and obesity.
> Highlight the benefits of a healthy body-image (e.g. general health and wellbeing, improved learning and
social outcomes).
> Encourage a whole school approach by providing tools to implement a range of initiatives promoting
body-image and body satisfaction.
The Health Promoting Schools approach used in Absolutely every body has been developed through the
shared interests of education and health, and is often identified as a ‘whole school approach’. Absolutely
every body is consistent with numerous educational frameworks and projects which advocate whole
school approaches when implementing health promotion activities in schools.
It also fits the Learner Wellbeing Framework developed by the South Australian Department for Education
and Children’s Services to:
> Encourage a holistic approach.
> Acknowledge the links between learning and wellbeing.
> Show how everything that educators do, has the potential to influence wellbeing.
Absolutely every body has been developed in consultation with schools, universities and health agencies.
This process has ensured that it is a practical, easy to use and effective resource for school staff and for
health workers who work in partnership with them to promote healthy body-image.
It has been designed in two key sections, including practical tools with explanations about their use and
the context with which to use them.
Part 1 – A guide for teachers:
> Supports teachers to develop their own understanding of what a healthy body-image is, and the related
issues that can occur in school communities.
> Provides key principles and ideas to effectively implement ‘health promoting, body-image friendly’
activities across their school community and in the curriculum.
Part 2 – The tool kit:
> Provides tools such as surveys, checklists and templates to help schools implement whole school
changes to become a health body-image school.
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to:
> Tracey Pye
> Deb Heading
> Jillian Mill
> Leanne Opperman
> Belinda Kopania
Department of Education and Children’s Services staff:
> Tricia Knott
> Deb Kay
> Rick Baldock
Queensland Health, Education Queensland, Brisbane Catholic Education Centre and the Association of
Independent Schools Queensland for kind permission to use their Health Promoting Schools tools with this
resource.
Copyright
This document may be photocopied for educational purposes.
Suggested citation
Centre for Health Promotion 2010, Absolutely every body: achieving a
body-image friendly school, Government of South Australia.
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Contents
1. Understanding body-image..................................................................................................6
What is body-image?.................................................................................................................................6
What is body dissatisfaction? .................................................................................................................... 6
Developing healthy body-image and preventing body dissatisfaction ...................................................... 6
The link between healthy body-image and healthy weight........................................................................7
2. The Health Promoting Schools approach ............................................................................8
What is a Health Promoting Schools approach? ....................................................................................... 8
Why use a Health Promoting Schools approach? ..................................................................................... 8
3. What schools can do .........................................................................................................10
In the classroom ......................................................................................................................................12
The role of physical education.................................................................................................................13
Gender specific approaches....................................................................................................................15
Why have different approaches for boys and girls? ................................................................................16
School organisation, ethos and environment .......................................................................................... 16
How can school culture support healthy body-image? ............................................................................17
Partnerships and services ....................................................................................................................... 17
Body-image partnerships in a Health Promoting School.........................................................................18
4. Putting it into action ...........................................................................................................19
Appendices ............................................................................................................................20
Appendix 1: Ideas for body-image friendly physical activity ....................................................................21
Appendix 2: Engaging boys ...................................................................................................................23
Appendix 3: Lesson ideas for boys .......................................................................................................25
Appendix 4: Engaging girls...................................................................................................................... 27
Appendix 5: Lesson ideas for girls ..........................................................................................................28
Appendix 6: Integration of body-image across learning areas ................................................................ 30
Appendix 7: Roles in a healthy body-image school.................................................................................31
Appendix 8: Resources ........................................................................................................................... 33
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1. Understanding body-image
What is body-image?
Body-image is an individual’s sense of self and relates to self-esteem. It is not
solely related to weight, although it is a common misconception that only people
over their healthy weight have poor body-image. It is influenced by many social
and cultural factors and encompasses how an individual feels about their
attractiveness, skin colour, any disability or disfigurement, plus their concepts of
how others perceive them.
Body-image is strongly influenced by the psyche and may or may not reflect a
realistic interpretation of our actual bodies. A healthy body-image based on
accepting and being satisfied with our body, is an important component of the
health and wellbeing of all individuals and can have positive social and
psychological effects.
What is body dissatisfaction?
Body dissatisfaction is a deep unhappiness with one’s body that may lead to
wanting to change its size or shape. This is an increasing problem in our society
and can have serious physical and mental consequences. Body dissatisfaction
has a significant impact on physical and psychological wellbeing that can impact
on all areas of life. It is not just a desire for thinness. Some children want to be
bigger, although this usually relates to increasing the size of their muscles,
rather than gaining weight. However, it is not exclusively related to an
individual’s weight.
Body dissatisfaction is associated with the desire to make our body fit societal
notions of what is right, attractive or acceptable. It is an issue for children as
young as six years old for both girls and boys. Body dissatisfaction can relate to
specific body parts that a child does not like about themselves such as the size
of their ears, the shape of their nose or the size of their bust or hips.
A healthy
body-image
stems from:
>
a high self-esteem
>
self-confidence
about looks,
physical
capabilities and
personal worth
>
a sense of
connectedness to
school and others
>
a feeling of
positive wellbeing.
Body dissatisfaction can lead to:
> Low self-esteem and general life dissatisfaction.
> Unhealthy eating and dieting.
> Excessive exercise or dropping out of physical activity.
> Depression and anxiety.
> High levels of stress.
> High risk behaviours (such as tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and early
sexual behaviour).
Developing healthy body-image and preventing
body dissatisfaction
Any child or adolescent requires self-confidence, self-acceptance and selfappreciation, in order to be happy with their natural size and shape. When these
feelings are nurtured, it is likely that a sense of confidence and joy in the way the
body looks, feels and moves will also be developed, reducing the risk of body
dissatisfaction and poor body-image. There is also less likelihood of dieting
behaviour developing,
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Even those children who do not fit the parameters of a healthy weight, can feel good
about themselves and be satisfied with their bodies. It is often the teasing that larger
children receive, and not their weight, that contributes to their feelings of low selfesteem and body dissatisfaction. If children feel confident with their bodies, they are
more likely to undertake activities that will help them achieve their healthy weight.
Providing an environment that actively prevents discrimination, teasing, and bullying
through policies and procedures that are clearly enacted can help children develop
healthy body-image and a more positive sense of self that prevents body
dissatisfaction. It can also lead to healthier decisions relating to sport, exercise and
healthy eating.
The link between healthy body-image and healthy weight
Body-image is one of the main issues for young people. Although it is not solely
about weight, body size and shape, the focus on weight reduction due to the
increasing incidence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has
impacted on young people’s perceptions of their bodies.
A healthy
body-image is
important for
everyone,
regardless
of their size
or shape.
Healthy weight promotional messages tend to focus on the individual increasing
physical activity and eating healthily. For many children and young people this can
lead to a concentration on fat and the dangers of being overweight, which can
promote body dissatisfaction and a belief that being thin equates with a healthy
body-image. This thinking actually promotes poor body-image
The societal focus on weight means that many young people who are a healthy
weight experience body dissatisfaction, poor body-image and believe they should
be thinner. This shows that there is a psychological component to healthy weight.
The concept of healthy weight should encompass healthy body-image which
includes self acceptance and self appreciation.
It is helpful for children and adolescents to realise that a healthy weight is unique
and does not fit a certain shape or look. All individuals have a genetically set weight
range that is ‘right’ for them given healthy eating and regular physical activity. It is
not determined by scales or charts. Feeling good about themselves at ‘their weight’
is an important part of a healthy body-image and can prevent unhealthy lifestyle
practices.
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2. The Health Promoting Schools approach
What is a Health Promoting Schools approach?
The Health Promoting Schools approach is a whole school approach to enhance
the health and educational outcomes of children and adolescents. It uses learning
and teaching experiences initiated in the school. It sometimes has different
names, e.g. comprehensive school health or coordinated school health. Whatever
the name, these frameworks have six common components:
> Healthy school policies.
> The school’s physical environment.
Principles of
Health Promoting
Schools
A Health Promoting
School will:
> The school’s social environment.
> Individual health skills and action competencies.
> promote the health and
> Home and community links.
well-being of students
> Relationships with health services.
> enhance the learning
Current evidence suggests that both education and health outcomes are
improved when schools use a Health Promoting Schools approach to address
health related issues in an educational context. Using multiple strategies to
achieve health and educational outcomes are more effective than classroom or
individual activities alone. Factors affecting learning are mostly influenced by
social-emotional factors such as:
outcomes of students
> uphold social justice
and equity concepts
> provide a safe and
supportive environment
> involve student
> Student teacher interactions.
participation and
empowerment
> School culture.
> Classroom climate.
> link health and
> Peer group relationships.
Social-emotional factors are key to the way a Health Promoting School operates
and how schools achieve their education and health goals. A whole school
approach, where there are links between the school’s policies and practices that
promote social inclusion and commitment to education, actually facilitates
improved learning outcomes, increases emotional wellbeing and reduces health
risk behaviours.
Why use a Health Promoting Schools approach?
The core business of schools is to maximise learning outcome. Evidence has
existed for over 30 years that healthy students learn better. It is important for
schools to recognise what they can do to enhance their learning goals through
creating a school community that optimises learning opportunities for all students.
Effective Health Promoting Schools provide students with opportunities to build
their educational and health competencies in the following ways:
> Use learning and teaching methods that are evidence based.
> Actively involve students in creating learning experiences.
> Facilitate cooperation among students.
education issues
and systems
> address the health and
well-being issues of all
school staff
> collaborate with parents
and the local
community
> integrate health into the
school’s ongoing
activities, curriculum
and assessment
standards
> set realistic goals built
on accurate data and
sound scientific
evidence
> seek continuous
improvement through
ongoing monitoring and
evaluation.
> Provide prompt feedback to students.
> Invest in capacity building experiences for all staff.
> Establish and promote high expectations.
> Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
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> Permit adequate time for learning tasks.
> Ensure there is consultation between parents, students and teachers in establishing the school’s
direction.
> Establish programmes and facilities for students and teachers.
> Provide clear leadership from the Principal/Director in establishing a school climate of trust, respect,
collaboration and openness.
Taking a Health Promoting Schools approach to promoting healthy body-image is a coordinated way to
address a range of issues associated with body-image. It focuses on creating a supportive environment as
well as providing individuals with knowledge, skills and experiences that will help them develop and
maintain a healthy body-image.
The Health Promoting Schools framework provides a simple method to break down the big issue of
promoting healthy body-image into smaller, more manageable parts.
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3. What schools can do
Schools are a good place to provide students with the necessary knowledge and
skills that empower them to make informed choices and have more control over
their own health and wellbeing. Learning about body-image can occur in a range
of ways, not only in the classroom, but also through the experiences that students
have in the school yard and through extra curricula activities.
A healthy body-image school creates the conditions which develop and nurture
body satisfaction and healthy body-image. A positive environment, using a whole
school approach, will encourage students to develop attitudes and skills to help
them develop their sense of self-worth and achieve a positive body-image.
A health body-image school:
> Acknowledges body-image as an important component of health and an
important learning area.
> Reflects a philosophy that individuals are valued for who they are, not how they
look.
> Encourages self-esteem and skills and assertiveness to enable a healthy body-
image to develop.
> Has policies which reflect a healthy body-image perspective and a health
centred approach to weight management.
> Teaches self-acceptance and confidence in what the body can do.
> Forms community partnerships which enhance the positive work done in the
school.
> Provides an environment in which healthy body-image can develop.
> Has staff who model healthy body-image and healthy lifestyle practices.
Body-image and related issues can be positively introduced and reinforced
through:
> Curriculum, teaching and learning through the provision of information relating to
body-image.
> Guidelines which address issues linked to body-image.
> Creating body friendly physical activity.
> Gender-specific approaches.
> Promoting healthy eating with a canteen which meets DECS guidelines.
> Planning for and implementing a process of change towards a ‘healthy body-
image’ friendly school.
The Health Promoting Schools approach acknowledges that the school is part of
the wider community and is influenced by the broader political and social climate.
This perspective sees poor body-image as a social issue which has public health
implications and cannot be separated from obesity prevention policy. Therefore,
the initiatives undertaken within the health promoting school are connected to and
impacted upon by government legislation, policies, initiatives and funding, as well
as by social and cultural issues.
Figure 1 shows the broader context of body-image work undertaken within the
Health Promoting Schools framework.
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Schools can
promote healthy
weight by
prioritising and
fostering healthy
body-image
through their
philosophy,
curriculum and
environment.
There is a blank tool to help you audit your school in Absolutely every body: Part 2—the tool kit on page
17. When completed it can help you see what is happening within the three areas to promote healthy
body-image, or what is contributing to poor body-image. The toolkit also contains other resources that can
be used for initiating and supporting the health promoting school approach.
The following sections give a snap-shot of what schools can do in each of the areas of the Health
Promoting Schools framework:
> In the classroom (curriculum and teaching).
> School organisation, ethos and environment.
> Partnerships and services.
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In the classroom
Teaching about body-image involves a mix of providing information and
opportunities to learn skills that will build self efficacy, confidence and resilience.
There should be specific information about body-image and body dissatisfaction
but also information about the relationship to health and wellbeing and the factors
that can promote positive body-image and protect against body dissatisfaction.
There should also be a mix of activities both within the school and within the
broader community which will help students gain skills to meet the challenges of
developing a healthy body-image.
The following section plus the appendices provide some suggestions for teaching
about body-image.
Using the South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability
(SACSA) Framework
It is especially important to consider the three domains of pedagogy from the
South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) framework when teaching
about body-image. These are:
> Creating safe conditions for learning.
> Developing expert learners.
> Personalising and connecting learning.
This is because body-image and related subjects can raise personal issues that
may not be immediately apparent. These issues need to be dealt with in a
sensitive manner that is appropriate to the needs of students.
However, the issues covered within the body-image topic are diverse and provide
opportunities to approach the topic in innovative ways. Topics can include:
> Movement for fun and fitness.
> Respecting self and others.
> Connectedness to school and family.
> Optimism and resilience.
> Nutrition.
> Identity.
This diversity also provides a range of learning opportunities which can
accommodate students’ different learning styles and reinforce messages in
different ways. There are a number of entry points within the SACSA Framework
to achieve this. They include:
> Health and PE learning area strands (e.g. learning ideas and outcomes)
–
Personal and social development strand addresses Identity,
Relationships, Growth and Development.
–
Health of individuals and communities looks at healthy eating, keeping
ourselves and others safe in a variety of contexts. Additionally this strand
provides opportunities for educators to address community health issues
and states of health (what influences health and wellbeing).
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Teaching and
learning about
body-image can
occur in a range
of ways and
through many
guises.
> Essential learnings: Futures, Identity, Interdependence,
Thinking and Communication
These describe the values, dispositions, skills and understandings crucial for all
learners. The development of these learnings is a lifelong process, they are woven
through all aspects of SACSA and the responsibility of all teachers, regardless of
which learning area they are focusing on, for example:
Identity—through teaching about identity, students across all year levels
have an opportunity to learn about understanding self and others, the social
construction of identities, and how to relate effectively to others regardless
of their identity.
– Interdependence and Futures—These focus on the global context of the
body- image and healthy weight. For instance, students can learn how
social and cultural influences determine our notions of attractiveness and
belonging, and how these influence our social interactions and acceptance
of others. These also provide opportunities for students to build scenarios
and take actions that might lead to preferred futures where discrimination
based on size, shape and appearance no longer exists.
– Thinking and Communication—Body-image provides an excellent platform
to study the power of language in our interactions with others. Similarly, the
topic of body-image can create opportunities to demonstrate different ways
of thinking and problem solving.
> Making connections to literacy, numeracy and ICT programs
This can be achieved in a number of innovative ways and some programs
combine aspects of all of these, for example: critical analysis of media such as
demonstrated by the Media Smart program. It is important not to use individual’s
measurements in numeracy activities.
–
Physical activity
that promotes
healthy bodyimage is about
experiencing
movement as fun,
feeling strong and
capable and
ready to explore
new moves.
> Integration across the different Learning Areas of the curriculum and linked
to their specific strands and learning outcomes
Appendix 6 provides a diagram that demonstrates one way in which integration
can occur.
> Cross-curriculum perspectives
This includes equity issues and perspectives related to gender, multiculturalism,
disability and social inclusion. Body image provides a non-threatening issue
through which to view the concept of discrimination and social justice.
The role of physical education
Physical education has a key role to play in promoting healthy body-image. How we
feel about the look of our body and what it can do are at the core of many bodyimage concerns. An active lifestyle is also a necessary component of maintaining a
healthy weight.
Cultural messages about health, physical activity, fitness and fatness have distorted
the meaning of physical activity and fitness for many people, especially children and
adolescents. There is a tendency for both boys and girls to see physical activity as a
means to gain a certain look or body shape. This can lead to dangerous levels of
exercise for both sexes, and even steroid use in boys. It may also lead to a lack of
physical activity by those who may already be at their ideal weight.
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However, different messages are sent when the terms ‘play’ and ‘sport’ are used
rather than ‘physical activity’ and ‘fitness’. Children are more interested in the fun
aspects of activity than the health benefits, so using these words places the
emphasis on the experience of movement and fun. Throughout Absolutely every
body the term ‘body friendly’ physical activity is used to describe activity that
focuses on celebrating the way the body moves and feels rather than on weight
loss or fitness.
Sport remains very important. It contributes to students’ physical and mental
development and can teach them significant social and interpersonal skills. In a
healthy body-image school, sport is about having fun and being active rather than
being competitive and winning. Sports skills are taught, but with a focus on the
individual child’s developmental and cognitive level. In this way a sense of
mastery and control can be developed, which leads to feelings of confidence and
competence which are part of a healthy body-image.
Lunch-time activities can also lead to (unexpected) benefits for staff. Teachers
can feel much more confident to take students for sport or physical activity and
are more inclined to ‘have a go’ themselves.
Creating ‘body friendly’ physical activity
> Ask students what they want and take them seriously.
> Use language that fosters positive attitudes—talk about play and fun rather
than health.
> Celebrate the experience of movement, not just the physiological effects.
> Promote physical activity for enjoyment and an important part of everyday life,
not just for losing weight or changing body shape.
> Encourage and provide areas for incidental movement.
> Create supportive environments that cater for all interests, shape, sizes, skills
and fitness levels. This may mean gender specific areas/activities.
> Believe in and promote the message that active and healthy people are a
diverse range of body types, shapes and sizes.
> Provide students with physical activities that enable them to feel good about
their bodies because the activities are pleasurable, challenging and develop
capabilities.
> Give students the opportunity to organise their own games and play, but don’t
abandon them—advise, guide and set limits.
> Encourage and design activities based on fun, action and cooperation.
> Provide opportunities for group and individual activity.
> Group children based on abilities and developmental status, not on fitness
levels.
> Give praise which is not appearance or weight based. Compliment and
acknowledge mastery of skills.
> Celebrate and applaud achievement in physical movement of all sorts, not just
sports (through photographs and awards).
> Challenge personal prejudices about body size and shape.
> Model acceptance and appreciation of your own body.
See Appendix 1 for physical activity ideas.
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Be creative. Body
friendly physical
activity need not
be complicated or
take a long time.
It can also be
linked to many
curriculum areas
and activities.
Body-image
issues manifest
differently for
boys and girls.
Gender specific approaches
Body-image is often seen as an issue for girls alone. However, boys do have body-image concerns, and
up to the age of about 10, boys and girls show similar levels of weight concern and perceived pressure to
lose weight. Even from as young as four, boys are concerned about their muscles. By eight years old,
boys tend to think more about and engage in muscle gaining behaviours. However, gender differences in
body-image and dieting concerns and other behaviours tend not to become fully apparent until after the
age of 10 or 11.
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These differences suggest that from the middle primary years, taking a gender
based approach to the subject of body-image and healthy weight would be
beneficial. There can be better engagement for both boys and girls with gender
specific classes that use different topics and methods for each sex. Separating boys
and girls during discussion on topics such as media and peer influences on bodyimage allows the use of more specific and targeted methods and activities.
Nevertheless, for either gender, accepting and feeling good about your body, how it
looks and what it can do, are pivotal to a healthy body-image. It is also important to
accept and value others and not judge them on the shape or size of their bodies.
These core principles need to be central when teaching about body-image, for boys
and girls. It can be useful to have combined classes after the issues have been
discussed separately. This gives each group an insight into the views of the other.
Why have different approaches for boys and girls?
A school culture
which values
healthy bodyimage, will lead to
the development
of supportive
environments
Boys are often more in tune with their bodies in relation to physical skills, movement
capabilities and potential. They are more likely to have an underlying confidence in
their bodies. This means that physical activity can be used in different ways for boys
and girls. For boys, physical activity can be a means to engage boys and help them
understand body-image issues; whereas for girls, it can be a way to develop
feelings of success and mastery, and confidence in what the body can do, rather
than how it looks. This may be best achieved in a safe, ‘girls only’ environment as
part of realising a positive body-image.
Bodily ideals also impact on the two sexes differently. Generally, boys want the
body type epitomised by footballers—big, muscular and lean ‘with a six pack’. At
puberty, boys’ bodies tend to change toward this desired body type. For girls,
puberty tends to bring changes away from their desired shape of thin and angular.
Although this does not mean adolescent boys have no body-image issues, it seems
that boys may be protected to some extent. They are more likely to be involved in
physical activity to achieve their weight and body shaping goals, rather than in
restrictive eating as would girls.
Boys’ body-image concerns can also be associated with concepts of masculinity
and what it means to be a man. Young men tend to strongly link masculinity with
stereotypical ideals of male bodies. Traditional notions of how men should act and
how they use their bodies, as well as boys’ understanding of sexuality in relation to
masculinity, underpin many of their beliefs about men’s bodies, and hence, how
they should be.
Similar gender issues are important in body-image for girls, although these are
linked to issues of appearance and bodily comparison in more complex ways than
for boys. Lessons that are specifically tailored for girls or boys can address these
individual differences more effectively. Look at the suggestions for engaging boys
and girls (Appendices 2 and 4) plus some lesson ideas (Appendices 3 and 5).
School organisation, ethos and environment
This aspect of a Health Promoting School is about the ‘culture’ or ‘climate’ of your
school. It is about the school philosophy, and how it demonstrates that the school
values aspects of personal wellbeing that are important in the development of a
healthy body-image. These are factors such as individual and cultural diversity, selfexpression and individuality.
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How can school culture support healthy body-image?
> Foster a belief that body-image and increasing self-esteem are important health
and learning areas.
> Engage the support of school council.
> Include body-image components in school nutrition, physical activity and
anti-bullying policies.
> Include physical appearance in school anti-bullying and anti-discrimination
policies.
> Foster environments both in the classroom and in the school yard where
students can develop a positive sense of self and group identification.
> Provide gender specific areas for students.
> Ensure the school uniform suits a diverse range of sizes and shapes.
> Celebrate and appreciate diversity (e.g. in posters or photos highlighting student
achievement).
> Develop students’ skills in negotiating sexual behaviour and identifying and
responding to different types of harassment, abuse and peer pressure.
> Provide mentoring programs that foster self-esteem and self-worth.
> Engage in research projects relevant to body-image.
> Ensure teachers model body satisfaction, healthy eating and enjoyment of
movement.
> Provide areas and equipment for a wide range of physical activities.
> Provide a healthy eating canteen and support healthy eating at school events.
> Develop a policy that ensures school staff will not weigh and measure students.
Partnerships and services
This is the component of the Health Promoting Schools approach where the
school taps into the broader community. It is about working collaboratively with a
range of community groups, government and non-government agencies to
support school policy and practices promoting healthy body-image.
In a Health Promoting School partnerships are usually ongoing, working
relationships, rather than single visits by experts to the school. They are likely to
involve agency representatives:
> Being a part of health and wellbeing committees.
> Providing resources, expertise and assistance to develop cross curricula and
cross year materials on specific subjects..
> Providing expert assistance for ‘at risk’ individuals.
> Providing professional development for the entire staff (and interested others)
about whole school approaches and assistance in how to implement them.
> Providing funding and research opportunities.
> Providing access to facilities not available on campus.
Key factors for success when working in partnerships with outside agencies or
individuals include:
> Establishing a system within the school that supports the formation of
partnerships and collaboration.
> Having key people from your school and the agency coordinating activities.
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Forming
partnerships
optimises the
work done in your
school by using
the skills,
knowledge and
experience of
others.
Parents should
feel they are
equal partners in
the school
community and
that they have a
voice in school
health issues.
> Establishing what additional support and resources are available from both parties.
> Planning initiatives together and establishing common goals.
> Developing strong inter-personal, ‘face-to face’ relationships with other agencies.
> Developing a ‘we’ language, so there is a feeling of shared ownership, responsibility and commitment.
> Developing clear roles, structures, objectives and channels of communication between the school and
the agency.
> Ensuring everyone knows exactly what their tasks and responsibilities are.
The Centre for Health Promotion has a practical planning tool that can be followed to ensure that these
factors are addressed. It is available at www.healthpromotion.cywhs.sa.gov.au/Content.aspx?p=181.
Working in partnership is also about working with parents and creating ways in which they feel equal
partners in the school community. This means ensuring parents and families have a voice in school health
issues and that they feel their opinions are welcomed and valued. It may also include making otherwise
idle resources and facilities accessible during out of school hours, and providing training and courses for
their enjoyment or skill development.
Some examples of initiatives which welcome parents as partners into the school community include:
> Parental involvement on health and wellbeing committees.
> Parent input about school health issues through surveys, questionnaires or consultations.
> Parents and community members used as role models and as a resource in classes and extracurricular
activities.
> Parents and community members having access to facilities, courses and leisure activities.
Body-image partnerships in a Health Promoting School
It is important to get to know your local community to find out who and what are available to add to your
school’s plans to promote healthy body-image. It is not only physical activity and nutrition partnerships that
can help. There are many local health and service agencies that can provide support to schools in relation
to enhancing healthy body-image. These include agencies which promote positive mental health and
wellbeing, or teach life and relationship skills. Other schools are also valuable candidates for partnerships
and can provide information, assistance or support in developing or implementing body-image programs or
policies.
Some examples of partnerships which promote healthy body-image include:
> A healthy eating committee consisting of a local consultant dietitian, parents, students, local producers or
food sellers—even a chef.
> Local producers selling healthy food at the canteen and providing food for parents to buy.
> A wellbeing committee with a local social worker or youth counsellor to provide advice. This worker may
develop initiatives with teachers and students to improve self-esteem and confidence.
> Formation of ‘clusters’ with other like minded schools to create a critical mass for larger projects and
initiatives, such as mentoring programs.
> Primary schools forming partnerships with their high school to develop transition programs.
> Local recreation centres providing facilities at a reduced cost to students, staff and parents.
> Mentoring programs using physical activity for boys and girls, which take place in collaboration with local
sporting clubs.
18
4. Putting it into action
It requires a long term commitment and perhaps a shift of resources from other activities to achieve many
of these suggestions. There also needs to be support from everyone in the school to ensure momentum
and enthusiasm is maintained. Specific tasks should be shared across the school to ensure individuals do
not suffer burn out, or that the initiatives fail if there is staff turnover. Appendix 7 provides an example of
how each person within the school community can contribute to ensure there is a whole school approach
to becoming a body image friendly school.
Absolutely every body—Part 2: the tool kit has information sheets, surveys, templates and guidelines to
help implement the ideas in this teachers’ guide.
19
Further reading
Drummond, M 2003, ‘The meaning of boys’ bodies in physical education,’ Journal of Men’s Studies,
Vol. 11(2).
Eisenberg, ME & Neumark-Sztainer, D 2003, ‘Associations of weight-based teasing and emotional wellbeing among adolescents,’ Archive of Paediatric & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 157, pp. 733-738.
Grogan, S & Richards, H 2002, ‘Body-image: focus groups with boys and men,’ Men and Masculinities,
Vol. 4(3), pp. 219-232.
Hargreaves, D & Tiggemann, M 2003, ‘The effect of “thin ideal" television commercials on body
dissatisfaction and schema activation during early adolescence,’ Journal of Youth and Adolescence,
Vol. 32(5), pp. 367-373.
International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) 2008, Achieving health promoting
schools: guidelines for promoting health in schools, viewed 7 April 2010,
<http://www.iuhpe.org/uploaded/Publications/Books_Reports/HPS_GuidelinesII_2009_English.pdf>.
McCabe, M, Ricciardelli, L, Stanford, J & Holt, K 2005, ‘Where is all the pressure coming from? Messages
from mothers and teachers about preschool children’s weight and muscles,’ In press.
St Leger, L, Young, I, Blanchard C, Perry, M 2009, Promoting health in schools: from evidence to action,
an International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) publication, viewed 7 April 2010,
<http://www.iuhpe.org/index.html?page=516&lang=en#sh_advevid>.
Stewart-Brown, S 2006, What is the evidence on school health promotion in improving school health or
preventing disease and specifically what is the effectiveness of the health promoting schools approach?
World Health Organization, Copenhagen.
Tiggemann, M & Slater, A 2003, Appearance and social comparison processing in response to music
videos, Paper presented at the Society for Australasian Social Psychologists, April, Macquarie University,
Sydney.
Victorian Centre for Excellence in Eating Disorders & the Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria, 2004,
An eating disorder resource for schools: a manual to promote the early intervention and prevention of
eating disorders, viewed January 2005
http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/uploads/downloads/EatingDisorderResourceSchools.pdf
Vince Whitnam, C & Aldinger, C (eds) 2009, Case studies in global school health promotion—from
research to practice, Springer, New York, XVII, p. 404.
Wilksch, SM, Durbridge, M & Wade, TD 2008, ‘A preliminary controlled comparison of programs designed
to reduce risk for eating disorders targeting perfectionism and media literacy’, Journal of the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 47, pp. 939-947.
Wilksch, SM & Wade, TD 2009, ‘Reduction of shape and weight concern in young adolescents: A 30month controlled evaluation of a media literacy program’, Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 48, pp. 652-661.
Wilksch, SM & Wade, TD 2009, ‘School-based eating disorder prevention’ in Paxton, S & Hay, P (Eds.),
Treatment approaches for body dissatisfaction and eating disorders: evidence and practice, IP
communications, Melbourne, Australia.
20
Appendix 1: Ideas for body-image friendly physical activity
Language is important.
Children don’t talk about ‘physical activity’—they talk about ‘play’ and ‘sport’. When you are talking with
students, think about ways to rename ‘physical activity’ so it encourages a fun attitude, for instance ‘Play
the Day Away’ rather than ‘Sports Day’.
Follow an adventurer on their journey.
This could incorporate other subjects, such as studying the places they have visited. Build a course
around the school/community and, over a period of time, walk/run/cycle as far as the adventurer.
Incorporate some physical activity every day.
Ten to15 minutes of game time every morning can encourage students to arrive on time, get them active
and improve their concentration. The session could be designed and run by students.
Ask students to do a project on a sports person, sport or activity.
As part of this they must run a practical session with the rest of the class based on the sport or activity.
Invite different specialists to the school to give students a taste of alternative activities.
For example yoga, Tai Chi, various forms of martial arts or self-defence, drama activities, kite flying (kites
could be made in art beforehand), roller blading or wall climbing.
Invite various dance teachers to give a course of lessons.
Young children, especially girls love dancing. Have a CD player available and provide time and space to
allow some free expression. Belly dancing, break dancing, ballroom dancing and others are all great fun
when put to modern music.
Have your own mini version of Rock n Roll Eisteddfod within your school or region.
Have students design a game that is cooperative rather than competitive.
Before this task discuss and explore these concepts and get the students to devise certain criteria to
include everyone. This session could be linked to discussion about the importance of goal setting and the
meaning of winning.
Ask students what they would like in a ‘perfect’ play area.
They could design a survey to distribute to other classes and use this data in maths. Ask them to audit
their own areas and rate them in terms of the survey criteria. Then ask students to create and play a game
that can be played safely in their school grounds. How could they change their area so that it meets their
requirements? This may be something they can physically do, like plant trees or delineate areas. This
activity can be replicated in the broader community.
Planting a garden on the school grounds can be linked to many subjects. This could be accompanied by
walking tours of the local area to explore flora of the area and garden design.
Implement a ‘virtual bus route’ to allow student to walk to school safely with help from staff, parents,
students and local government. This can increase physical activity for the adults as well as the children.
This system can also be used for excursions where appropriate. Ensure that all appropriate insurance and
liability issues have been covered before beginning. Check DECS requirement with local District Directors.
21
Get students to make a lead for their dogs and use it to take their dog for a walk.
Encouraging students to learn pet care and to play with their dog can lead to more activity for the pet and
its owner. Invite a dog trainer to come to the school to demonstrate the skills of their animals and ask the
students to design a training course for their own pets. Children, especially girls, who have a dog, are
more active.
Ask students to act out a ‘virtual game’ using real equipment.
Students could even design one. You could impose certain restrictions to make it more interesting, e.g.
non-violent, cooperative, uses only certain movements, limits physical space.
22
Appendix 2: Engaging boys
Gender specific sessions
It is most effective to have separate sessions for boys and girls since their issues manifest differently.
This provides an environment where they all feel more comfortable and willing to talk about their issues.
It also allows you to better tailor a lesson to the needs of the students. If students are predominantly taught
by women, having a male teacher or other role model available, to either facilitate or help with the class,
is useful.
Broaden boys’ concepts of masculinity
Cultural concepts of masculinity are strongly linked to body shape. Understanding what it means to be a
man is a major component of young men’s body-image. Spend time on de-constructing gender and
helping boys to understand more about female stereotypes, and how their attitudes and behaviours
reinforce them.
Broaden boys’ understanding of the context of sexuality within masculinity
Young boys often mentally link heterosexuality, masculinity and a particular body type together. Therefore,
in association with de-constructing gender, it is valuable to discuss boys’ concepts of sexuality and the
links to stereotypical notions of the ‘ideal’ body. Discussing the use of language, (e.g. calling someone a
poof, or a girl), its development, meaning and impacts can be helpful within this context. It can also be
linked with lessons on verbal abuse and bullying.
Develop critical thinking about media images of the ideal male
It is important that boys understand how the media influences their concepts of a ‘good’ body. This
appears to create fewer problems for boys than for girls, partly due to the nature of media watched
(sports as opposed to soap operas or music videos). There are an increasing number of images of men
that highlight muscularity and leanness, which is impacting on boys. Helping boys develop critical thinking
skills about media images, linked with an understanding of what is natural and achievable through diet and
exercise, is crucial in preventing problems like steroid use and excessive exercise.
Provide a wide range of ‘real’ role models, body shapes and behaviours
Use real life role models—fathers, grand-fathers, men from diverse professions and jobs. If possible
include men from jobs that are not traditionally masculine, like teachers, nurses, chefs and dancers. It is
important to teach boys that concepts of manliness and manly shapes are contextual and socially driven.
For many cultures manliness is about providing for one’s family and not about looks. Helping boys realise
that being a man is not about having a certain body, is significant in promoting a positive sense of self.
Use physical movement as a learning tool
Boys are used to moving their bodies, and often have a sense of self-efficacy associated with sports.
This means that the use of movement, whether physical activity or formalised sports, can be a great way
to promote a healthy body-image.
However, for many boys, sport is linked with violence, aggression and intimidation, in order to appear
manly and part of the group. This can mean that overweight boys, or those less skilled in conventional
sports, can feel bad about themselves and be bullied. Find activities that use the body in a non-intimidating
way and encourage a diversity of skills. Using non-competitive or co-operative sporting activities can be
beneficial in this context.
Also introduce alternative activities that require a variety of skills and fitness levels that can be successfully
achieved by larger children. Once these children have found success they can often help others who may
be more skilled in conventional activities, for example strength based or individual activities such as
circuits, pump (strength activities to music) or Japanese drumming. This is a great esteem booster for kids
not usually successful in ‘sports’. The use of movement is a great way to promote self-esteem and an
appreciation of their own bodies, which is at the core of a healthy body-image.
23
Emphasise the negative impacts of bullying
Bullying behaviour can be a way for insecure boys to feel a sense of power and inclusion. However, boys
need to find more acceptable and fulfilling ways to feel part of a group. Programs which focus on
communication skills, anger management and raising self esteem will be helpful in teaching boys how to
work in groups without hurting others. Mentoring and leadership programs that involve physical activity can
be especially useful for boys with behaviour problems, and can be the basis for partnerships with local
sporting clubs.
Encourage sensible risk taking
Taking dangerous risks, whether on one-off occasions or by engaging in activities—such as binge drinking
or drug use—can stem from a need for inclusion and wanting to be ‘cool’. Empowering boys to take
control and say ‘no’ to risky behaviour, promotes a strong sense of self and a positive self-esteem, which
are aspects of healthy body-image. In relation to physical risks, physical activity can be used to
demonstrate sensible risk taking and de-emphasise the macho connotations of daredevil activities.
24
Appendix 3: Lesson ideas for boys
Gender and masculinity
The following are some ideas for student discussion.
> In order to get the students thinking about the contextual nature of masculinity, ask students to discuss
these questions:
–
–
–
–
–
What is a man—what is masculinity?
What does ‘masculinity’ and ‘ideal body’ mean in different times and cultures.
Who do you think are the most masculine men? How do they look? Is it possible to be masculine
and not look like this? Is it possible to look like this and not be masculine?
Do men you know look like your ideal? Do you think they are masculine?
What do masculine men do? Do you think that a male nurse or a male ballet dancer is masculine?
> Other activities to further explore these issues following discussion are:
> Design a ‘perfect man’ using the medium of their choice, such as magazines, photos, the computer or
clay.
> Choose the occupation—From an array of different photos of men, ask students to nominate men of
different professions: the athlete, doctor, nurse, cook. Ask them why they chose each photo and were
their choices related to stereotypes? You can then ask the boys to explore the types of personalities that
go with this image.
> Ask the boys to imagine being a girl. Ask them to describe:
–
–
–
–
–
–
What would they like to look like and do?
Who would they want to have as friends and idols?
What would they like their boyfriend to look like?
How should they act?
Ask the boys how they feel about these things.
How have they determined these ideas?
Do they feel constrained and would they like it to be different?
Students could create and survey other boys and girls and use the data for discussion.
When does stereotyping start?
> Explore the concept of stereotyping and how it is developed by asking them:
How are boy and girl babies/children treated?
What are the expectations?
– What sort of toys, games, and clothes are they given?
– Was the treatment different for each sex? Why? Discuss.
–
–
> Having explored some of the stereotypes, get the boys to think about the words and actions they use (or
ones men they know use) that reinforce or perpetrate stereotypes. (You could use video or sitcoms here
as a resource.) How might these be changed?
> Students could develop and act out role plays or scenarios to demonstrate current and future situations.
25
Media analysis
Here are some ideas for individual media analysis lessons.
Use magazines, photos, song clips or DVDs to aid discussion on how men and women are portrayed in
the media. Ask students:
− What is emphasised?
− What is the context?
− How are they posed?
− What are they doing—differences for men women?
− What do these models have to do to achieve this look?
− Why are they portrayed this way?
− Do men and women you know look/act like this? Would you want them to?
> Discuss the concept of image enhancement. Visit websites, or if you have access to computer
programs, you can do some of your own enhancing. You could do a similar exercise with paper and
photos.
> What would you think if someone who looked more like you were advertising this product? Why?
If you would like access to an evidence based, evaluated media analysis program of eight lessons called
‘Media Smart’, contact Simon Wilksch at [email protected].
Bullying
> Discuss types of bullying. How does bullying make you feel—either being a bully or receiving bullying?
Where does it happen and how? How could it be changed? How could you stop yourself from bullying?
How could you stop someone bullying you?
> Design a slogan and poster discouraging bullying.
> Students could develop a survey for the rest of the school to determine the extent of bullying and use
this to develop an anti bullying policy (procedure). Role plays and scenarios could be used in this
exercise.
Using movement
> Discuss the concepts of stereotyping and sport. (This can be linked to a general discussion of
stereotyping). Discuss:
What are manly forms of physical activity?
– How do real men act when they engage in activity? Is it manly to play with an injury?
– Can other forms of activity (actions) be manly?
–
The discussion can be widened to include concepts of fair play and ‘good sports’.
> Ask boys to design (and play) a game that is fun and action packed, but does not fit with the usual
notions of male sport.
This activity can be linked with bullying and risk taking.
26
Appendix 4: Engaging girls
Gender specific sessions
It may seem easy to engage girls in body-image lessons; however, as with boys, it is important to provide
girls with information that they see as relevant and useful in order for it to work. Girls relate to media
differently and have specific issues associated with their interactions with peers. They can be very aware
and knowledgeable about body-image issues, and so it can be an effective practice to discuss their
experience and understanding of the issues separate from boys.
Broaden girls’ understanding of the social context of femininity and attractiveness
Girls are much more likely to focus on the way they look and determine their self-esteem by this. Girls
need to learn to appreciate themselves as more than their looks. Understanding the social construction of
gender and what influences concepts of attractiveness and femininity, is useful in helping girls to build
esteem and resist social influences to diet or present a certain image.
Develop critical thinking about media images of the ideal female
By adolescence, girls are very aware of media influences and their impact. Lessons focussing on media
literacy in relation to body-image need to start at an early age. During adolescence girls want strategies
and skills to counter the perceived omnipotence of cultural influences. Awareness-raising exercises are
ideal for younger girls.
Provide a wide range of ‘real’ role models, body shapes and behaviours
As with boys, use real life role models: mothers and grandmothers. Ask the older women to talk about
identity, body-image and gender issues that they encountered during their lives. Were these even issues?
Also ask women from diverse professions and jobs, such as a builder, electrician and truck driver, to talk
about their experiences. It is important to teach girls that concepts of femininity and beauty are contextual
and socially driven. Helping girls realise that being a woman is not about having a certain body or fitting a
stereotype is significant in promoting a positive sense of self.
Focus on raising self-esteem
Focussing on raising self-esteem and strengthening life skills can reduce the risk of girls becoming very
internally focussed with a tendency to compare themselves with others.
Use physical movement as a learning tool
Physical activity can be used to show girls that their bodies are important tools to be valued for what they
can do, and not just valued for how they look. Having confidence in physical abilities is important to help
girls accept and appreciate their bodies, regardless of size. This can be extended to activities that would
not typically be considered for girls, such as rock climbing, surfing and playing football (or other contact
sports).
27
Appendix 5: Lesson ideas for girls
These lessons are geared to get girls thinking about what pressures exist to make them think of
themselves in terms of their looks. Some of these lessons could be adapted for boys.
What is body-image?
> In groups, ask girls to brainstorm:
What is body-image?
What words would they use and why?
– What words around weight and size are often raised when discussing body-image?
–
–
This can be linked to a discussion about the relationship between body-image and health. This often
highlights students’ belief that thin means healthy and happy. This can be explored and discussed.
More than just a body
> Using a silhouette of body sizes ranging from very thin to obese (sheet attached or photos from
magazines), ask students to provide their emotional response to the images.
How are people of each shape treated in our society?
Would you like to look like any of these figures? Why?/Why not?
– What words are associated with each of these shapes? Why is this so?
– Are these healthy shapes? Can these body shapes be changed? How?
– Can these thoughts be challenged? How?
–
–
Women’s roles
> Help girls explore their bodies in relation to being a mother and how this affects the way they think about
their bodies. Choose words that are traditionally associated with women and their roles—like mother,
child bearer/rearer, teacher, feminine, rounded, nurturer, daughter. The students could choose these
words themselves if time permits.
> Lead a discussion related to the girls’ reactions to these words. Some general question for discussion
include:
How do you think of your body in relation to some of these words and roles? Are they
positive/negative? Why?
– For those with negative connotations, how can these be thought of differently/ more positively?
–
> Use movement (drama, dance) to get girls to act out some of these roles in relation to their bodies in
positive terms, for instance the earth-mother, rounded, feminine.
See if you can have a belly-dancer come to the school and give the girls some lessons and discuss how
Middle Eastern women think about their bodies.
Accepting your body
> Provide materials for the students to make clay figures. Then ask them to demonstrate what parts of
their bodies they like, and what they don’t like. (They can use different colours or types of material for the
parts they don’t like.) There are often lots of areas they don’t like, and only a few they do. Discussion
questions can include:
Why do you feel the way you do about each body part?
– Do you always feel like this?
– What could you do to begin to feel happy about the parts of your body that you don’t like?
–
This could link with discussion about the fitness and cosmetic industries and the way that they
promote the concept that we need to change and sculpt ourselves to be acceptable.
28
> Provide materials for the girls to draw or make the ideal figure. Discuss why this is the ideal. Then ask
them to draw or make models of themselves. Ask them how the two differ. Help the girls to start thinking
their bodies in more positive ways. (My thighs are strong and help me move. My stomach is womanly
and designed to bear children.) Ask the girls:
–
–
What might be the consequences of thinking positively about their body parts?
What are positive aspects of allowing your body to be its own shape?
Challenging concepts of the body beautiful
> Discuss the concept of ‘looksism’ as a form of discrimination based on appearance. Ask girls to
brainstorm examples of looksism and size discrimination. Discuss their ideas and how these examples
could be challenged (such as letters to the media, magazines, fashion companies, individual protests).
> Link this to a discussion about stereotyping and the different ways in which men and women are treated.
Exploring self-esteem
> Use song lyrics and a discussion of their meanings to help girls explore themes of self-esteem and self
acceptance. This can also be linked to a discussion about how young women are depicted in the media,
especially in song clips. Choose some lyrics or ask girls to choose their favourite songs. Some
suggestions:
‘That’s who I am’ by Christine Aguilera
– ‘Beautiful’ by Christine Aguilera
– ‘I am not my hair’ by India Arie
– ‘Unpretty’ by TLC.
–
> Ask girls to read or listen to these lyrics. General questions about the songs might be:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
What does the title mean? How does it relate to the lyrics? Can you think of an alternative title?
What is the writer trying to tell you?
What do you think they were feeling when they wrote it?
What do you think about what they are saying?
How does this song make you feel? Can songs make you feel good or bad about yourself?
Are they a good way of getting a message across?
What would you put in a song to help someone feel good about themselves?
Role models
> Discuss the concept of ‘celebrity ‘; what makes someone a celebrity; and whether someone like them
could become a celebrity. General questions might include:
–
–
–
–
–
Who are their favourite celebrities?
What do they like about them?
Do they like the way they look?
If appropriate, ask if this celebrity would still be famous/ successful if they looked different e.g.
overweight/fat? Why? Discuss issues relating to ability to perform and ‘looksism’.
Do you think celebrities always feel great about themselves and think they look good? Why? What
pressures are on them?
29
Appendix 6: Integration of body-image across learning areas
Learning Areas
Essential Learnings
Physical activity for fun and fitness
The meaning of healthy weight
Identity
Health & Physical Education
Different body types suit
different activities
Physical activity
& participation
Understanding diverse
body sizes and shapes
Maths
Interdependence
Non-diet/ Healthy eating
Science
Self-confidence and self-esteem
Self acceptance and
positive mental health
Society & environment
Gender analysis
Masculinity/ Femininity
Personal &
social development
Thinking
Advocating for change in
media / marketing
Language
Anti - discrimination
Futures
Health of individuals
& communities
Art
English
Cultural influences on
attractiveness
Planning safe public
space
Foods from different cultures
Media literacyChallenging stereotypes
Communication
30
Appendix 7: Roles in a healthy body-image school
Participant
Senior staff &
Executive
Curriculum, teaching and learning
School organisation, ethos and environment
Partnerships and services
> ensure the curriculum is
> Ensure the school has consistent healthy body-
> Ensure all relevant community members are included
> Consistent with state standards.
> Support teachers in delivering or
programming curriculum consistent
with healthy body-image.
> Ensure the curriculum is
comprehensive and effective and is
coordinated across subjects and
year levels.
image messages in all relevant policies (i.e.
nutrition, anti-bullying).
> Ensure that explicit, consistent, fair and
reasonable procedures to support healthy bodyimage are known and used by all members of the
school community.
> Monitor and review the effectiveness of the
in the development of policies related to body-image.
> Foster links with relevant community agencies to
enable the mutual promotion of healthy body-image
within the school and community.
> Make the school available to community members to
deliver or access information to develop healthy bodyimage.
procedures.
> Ensure the procedures are applied to entire school
community.
Teaching staff
> Ensure the curriculum includes a
variety of approaches to meet
different learning styles and rates.
> Ensure the curriculum includes
opportunities for students to develop
positive mental health and selfesteem.
> Maintain professional development
in the area of body-image.
Support staff
> Support learning programs and
promote an environment which
encourages a healthy body-image.
> Contribute to the development of healthy body-
image policies and procedures.
> Model healthy body-image behaviour and attitudes
(i.e. self-acceptance, healthy eating, physical
activity).
> Form links with community agencies and services
relevant to enhancing healthy body-image.
> Assist students to access community services which
enhance, promote or develop healthy body-image.
> Know and implement procedures that encourage
the development of a healthy body-image in a fair
and consistent manner (e.g. anti-bullying or name
calling policies, procedures related to classroom
snacking, physical activity policies).
> Support learning programs and promote an
environment which encourages a healthy
body-image.
> Advocate for community based body-image
programs.
> Challenge factors which contribute to body
dissatisfaction by working with local community.
31
Participant
Curriculum, teaching and learning
School organisation, ethos and environment
Partnerships and services
Students
> Participate and actively engage in
> Know and follow school procedures and policies
> Advocate for community based body-image
learning programs.
> Provide feedback on body-image
programs.
which pertain to body-image.
> Actively promote and support a healthy body-
image environment.
programs.
> Challenge factors which contribute to body
dissatisfaction by working with local community.
> Contribute to the development of policy and
procedures through needs analysis and decision
making processes.
> Act as role models.
> Support peers in practising healthy body-image
behaviours.
Parents
> Provide input and feedback for
courses/activities in the curriculum.
> Participate actively in programs
provided for community members.
Visitors
> Comply with school policies and
guidelines if providing workshops or
information sessions.
> Comply with school procedures and policies
promoting healthy body-image.
> Model healthy body-image behaviour and attitudes
if relevant.
> Advocate for community based body-image
programs.
> Challenge factors which contribute to body
dissatisfaction by working with local community.
> Comply with school procedures and policies
promoting healthy body-image.
(Adapted from Smoke-free education guidelines, 2002)
32
Appendix 8: Resources
There are many ways to teach about and improve students’ body image. The following is a list of resources
that may be useful. Whilst it is not exhaustive, all are current at the time of printing. To keep up to date, visit
the Centre for Health Promotion website where the list will be regularly reviewed
www.healthpromotion.cywhs.sa.gov.au/
Health Promoting Schools
The Centre for Health Promotion website provides Health Promoting Schools resources and information
to help you implement whole school approaches around a range of issues including body-image and
healthy weight.
> The South Australian Health Promoting Settings Network is an electronic network linking organisations
and individuals interested in the Health Promoting Schools approach. It allows teachers to share their
experiences and ask questions about the Health Promoting Schools approach and provides information
on events and resources. www.sahps.net
> Guidelines for health workers doing health promotion in schools is an excellent resource to help
schools and agencies develop successful partnerships. Available on the Centre for Health Promotion
website www.healthpromotion.cywhs.sa.gov.au/Content.aspx?p=181
> SMART (School Mapping and Reviewing Tool) is an excellent online tool which can be used by the whole
school community to map your progress as a health promoting school. Contact the Centre for Health
Promotion for information and login details on (08) 8161 7777.
Better Health Channel
> A Victorian government assessed site that provides a range of health information
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Bullying
> Bullying: a whole school approach
> Stop the bullying: a handbook for school
> An evidence-based bullying reduction program – when implemented as a whole, bullying can be
effectively tackled.
The books and the program are available through ACER Press. www.acerpress.com.au
More information and ordering options available at www.friendlyschools.com.au
> Bullying. No way! is a site created by Australian educational institutions to create learning environments
where every student and school community member is safe, supported, respected, valued—and free from
bullying, violence, harassment and discrimination. www.bullyingnoway.com.au/who/default.shtml
> Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International is a non-profit organisation dedicated to teaching people to
use their power to stay safe, act wisely, and believe in themselves. www.kidpower.org
Child and Youth Health
This website provides a range of health information for young people and their parents and carers.
It is presented in age ranges 6-12, 12-17 and 18-25 with a section on parenting and child health.
www.cyh.com.au
33
Department of Education Tasmania
www.education.tas.gov.au
Useful resources on this website:
> School Canteen Handbook (under Student Wellbeing),
> Eat Well Tasmania is comprehensive in content and provides advice to schools, businesses and
community members. www.eatwelltas.org.au/schools.php
Healthy Weight and Body Image Lesson Ideas
> Healthy bodies, happy kids: Practical strategies aimed at reducing the risk of obesity in Australian
children. www.readyed.com.au/. A set of 4 planning books by Sandy Tasker, published in WA in 2003
by Readymade Publications:
junior
middle
– upper primary
– background resource book for teachers.
–
–
> Nobody is perfect: Teaching and learning about body image and gender, Stages 3, 4 and 5, 1997).
Available online and from:
–
NSW Department of School Education
Curriculum Directorate Private Bag 3
Ryde NSW 2112
www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/pdhpe/pdhpe7_10/health_education/body
_001.htm
> Absolutely every body: body image in the classroom – Lesson ideas for primary aged children.
Could be adapted for older/younger children. Contact the Centre for Health Promotion (08) 8161 7777.
www.healthpromotion.cywhs.sa.gov.au/Content.aspx?p=142
> Body Image and Self-Esteem – Volume 279, Spinney Press, J Healey (ed), $20.95
This book explores the range of influences on body image for children, women and men, and looks at
ways to promote positive body image and self esteem. Orders can be made online
http://spinneypress.com.au/books/body-image-and-self-esteem/ or phone (02) 4268 5600.
> In the mix, ‘Self image: the fantasy, the reality’ – American website with a variety of excellent
information for students and teachers. Teachers can access the educators’ site for lesson plans on many
related area, i.e. dangers of dating, violence and alcohol, depression and bullying.
www.pbs.org/inthemix/shows/show_self_image.html
> Everybody’s different. allows teachers to apply a planned approach to issues in an informed, positive
and effective manner for body sensitive young people. It is a week long program for upper primary, lower
secondary school by Jenny O’Dea of The Education Faculty at Sydney University.
http://shop.acer.edu.au/acer-shop/product/A1060BK
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Mental Health
> Headroom – This website aims to inform young people, their caregivers and service providers about
positive mental health. www.headroom.net.au
> MindMatters – Mental health promotion resources for secondary schools.
www.mindmatters.edu.au/resources_and_downloads/resources_landing.html
> Community Matters – DVD and accompanying booklet—a case-study based training resource for staff to
use with students. Also available through MindMatters
http://www.mindmatters.edu.au/resources_and_downloads/community_matters/communitymatters_dvd_la
nding.html
> Stories of Us – series of three dramatised videos designed to support secondary students with
relationships, bullying and stress. Made by and with students. Accompanying workbook included with
references to relevant MindMatters materials. For further information visit www.readymade.com.au/stories.
> An eating disorder resource for schools provides information for prevention and management with
excellent examples of whole school approaches. Order a hard copy by calling 08 8387 2673.
www.eatingdisorders.org.au/uploads/downloads/EatingDisorderResourceSchools.pdf
> ACEDA – incorporating panic and anxiety, obsessive compulsive and eating disorders associations
– can provide a range of materials to inform teachers or students about healthy body image and specific
eating disorders. They can also work with counsellors to support students (or staff) who may be at risk or
have problems. Located at:
–
Everard House
589 South Road
Everard Park SA 5035
Phone: 08 8297 4011
Open from: 9.30 am-4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
Nutrition
> The Right Bite strategy was developed from the Eat Well SA Healthy Eating Guidelines for Schools
and Preschools (also referred to as Healthy Eating Guidelines) which was released to all South
Australian schools and preschools in 2004 to educate young children and students about healthy eating
and to ensure that healthy food and drink choices are provided in SA schools and preschools.
www.decs.sa.gov.au/eatwellsa
www.decs.sa.gov.au/eatwellsa/a8_publish/modules/publish/content.asp?web=EatWellSA&group=eatwell&
id=25535
Physical activity
> The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) website is committed to improving
the physical health and wellbeing of children and youth and includes activities ideas and teacher resources
www.ophea.net
> The active after-school communities program and the Junior sport program focus on developing
grass roots sport and getting young people actively participating in sport in a fun, safe and inclusive
environment www.ausport.gov.au/participating/schools_and_juniors
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Wellbeing programs and resources
> Stop-Think-Do – a social skills/behaviour management program
www.stopthinkdo.com/training_materials.phtml
> Learn: Lead: Succeed – a resource to support the building of leadership in Australian schools. Available
through the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council
www.principalsaustralia.edu.au/servlet/Web?s=157573&p=LLS_INDEX
> Mind your Mind is a book that teaches adolescents how to master their thoughts and feelings. Written by
Julie Johansen and Leigh Hay and published by the Australian Scholarship Group Victoria. More
information available at www.asg.com.au/Page.aspx?ID=330 or call 03 9563 3999
Australian Council on Children and the Media
This site reviews movies for children and makes recommendations as to the suitability of films for various
age groups. May be useful as a resource for choosing films for study in this area www.youngmedia.org.au
Body Image
> Real gorgeous and Girl’s stuff are cartoon style books by Kaz Cooke with a fun look at body image and
teenage girl issues. Suitable for adolescent girls and available at most Australian bookshops. The websites
also provide interactive resources (such as a video version of the book Real gorgeous and teacher
notes/guides www.completelygorgeous.com/
www.girlstuffbook.com/default.cfm
> Body image videos – Available from Video Education Australasia. All videos accompanied by teacher
notes that you can access prior to purchase. www.vea.com.au (prices vary).
Real smart about girls’ body image encourages students to ‘accept that a wide range of body
types can be healthy and normal’, ‘understand how young people are affected by messages and
images’, ‘challenge stereotypical images and messages related to body image’ 2003, 23 minutes,
Australian. Suitable for secondary students.
– Real smart about boys' body image 2003, 21 minutes, Australian. Suitable for secondary
students.
– Body image: a guide to counselling 2003—for staff who may have to work in this area. For use
with senior secondary and above.
– Who am I: self–esteem, media and decision making 1999
This program explores ‘how stereotypes of youth and beauty are promoted, and how they influence
our self esteem’ and looks at the three myths—thin, youth and relationships. Suitable for middle to
upper secondary students.
–
Personal identity videos
Available from Video Education Australasia. All these videos are accompanied by teacher notes that you
can access prior to purchase. Prices vary. www.vea.com.au
> Getting to know me: all about personal identity 2002
Six animated scenarios provide audience discussion triggers about factors such as Risk, Gender and
Body Image that go towards constructing our personal identity. Australia, 29 minutes, suitable for
secondary students.
> Personal identity, tattoos, art, culture and self-expression 2002
This program looks at the growing popularity and acceptance of tattoos and body piercing and how it is
frequently used as an expression of personal identity. Suitable for middle and senior secondary.
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Sexual health and body image videos
Available from Video Education Australasia. All these videos are accompanied by teacher notes that you
can access prior to purchase. Prices vary. www.vea.com.au
> Reality bites: sex, STDs and contraception 1999
Understanding sex and sexuality is a key component addressed in the program, as is decision making,
being sexually active, practicing safe sex, and dealing with unwanted pregnancies. 22 minutes, Australian,
suitable for secondary students.
> Sexual awareness series 2003
Four programs, 1 hour and 40 minutes, Australian, suitable for secondary students.
Interactive sites which students can access
> The Dad Man
This is an American site but may be useful to pass on to parents, as it has been found that girls with poor
relationships with their fathers often have lower self-esteem. www.thedadman.com/dadsanddaughters
> About-face
This has some great information about media but some of the images are disturbing and you may want to
check it out first. www.about-face.org
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