Eating Disorders & Body Image

Body Image and Eating Disorders

HiTOPS Educator

Designed for: Professionals

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

According to many American women of all ages, the winner would be the thinnest of them all. By fourth grade, 4 out of 5 girls are on diets, 13% of teenagers practice some form of binge-purge behavior and 19 out of 20 women think they are fatter than they really are, even when they are at a normal weight. Our culture’s obsession with thinness has put women and girls into a crisis that is detrimental to their physical and emotional health.

In this in-service, participants define realistic vs. unrealistic body image and explore the impact that media, culture, family and friends have on what we consider to be physical beauty. Signs & symptoms of common eating disorders are discussed, as well as the roles of good nutrition, exercise, stress control, and support in increasing self-esteem and health. Participants will be given classroom activities to explore this important topic with students.

Our goals are to help professionals:

• Identify messages received about beauty from the media, family and friends

• Understand the basics about eating disorders and learn how to help a student, friend or a family member

• Name healthy practices that contribute to a positive self-image and a healthy body.

Average length of program: 90 minutes

Recommended number of participants: 10 - 30