Childhood and adolescence are rife with covert and overt messages about body image. Traditional notions of health can exclude bodies that don’t conform to narrow beauty standards and that over-emphasize antiquated measures of health such as BMI and calorie consumption. In shifting the conversation, we recognize the importance of understanding health and wellness holistically, and further, see the importance of expanding our own ideas about health and body image. We also recognize the need to rethink how we talk about bodies in all spaces, such as within PE, health class, sexual education, and anatomy & physiology classes, in acknowledgement that ability, body shape/size, and gender identity are closely intertwined with body image.

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The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce (Manfredi, 2019) (book for purchase)

Geared towards youth readers, this anthology offers a liberatory framework for young people to understand themselves and the world around them, redefining traditional notions of body image and size.

 

The Body Positive (Curriculum)

Designed for use in schools, the Body Positive provides educators the tools to support students leaders in developing a critical analysis of body image, and building the skills to support their own (and their peers’) personal growth towards a compassionate relationship with oneself.

 

Children, Teens, Media, and Body Image: A Common Sense Media Research Brief

A comprehensive primer exploring the complex relationship between media and body image, this brief provides educators and parents with timely information, research, and resources for use in developing a critical analysis of how youth are impacted by media.