Lesson Plans - Body Image: Lesson Plans

Junior - Grade 6 - Lesson Plan

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Grade 6 - Body Image, Self Esteem and Eating Practices

Key Messages

• There are many negative pressures in our society that make young people feel dissatisfied with their body shapes and sizes.
• People can be healthy at a variety of shapes and sizes when leading a healthy lifestyle.

Equipment/Resources

1. A variety of magazines (i.e., teens, women, men, sports, travel and exercise magazines).
2. Scissors to cut out pictures from magazine.

Description/Instructional Strategies

1. Set up six stations to highlight the following factors that influence body image, self-esteem and eating practices:
   • Station 1 - Media 'ideal' for girls/ women
   • Station 2 - Media 'ideal' for boys/ men
   • Station 3 - Influence of friends
   • Station 4 - Messages about physical activity and sports
   • Station 5 - Messages about food and eating
   • Station 6 - Messages from different cultures and eras
2. Divide your students into small groups at each station. Ask the class to find pictures at their station that illustrate their topic and answer certain discussion questions such as:
   • Station 1:
     • What is the ideal look for girls and women in our society?
     • Do models and actresses look like the 'real people' you know?
     • Do most models look like that naturally?
   • Station 2
     • What is the ideal look for boys and men in our society?
     • Is this look realistic for most males?
   • Station 3
     • How important is appearance to kids your age?
     • Can friends and classmates influence how kids feel about themselves and their bodies?
     • What qualities do kids value most in their friends?
   • Station 4
     • Do you think being active or involved in sports helps kids to feel better or worse about their bodies?
     • Are there any specific sports that focus a lot on appearance?
   • Station 5
     • What messages do kids get about food and eating from magazines, TV and the Internet?
     • Are these messages positive or negative?
     • What messages would help kids make healthier choices?
   • Station 6
     • Do all cultures have the same ideas about size, shape and beauty?
     • Has the ideal look for girls and guys in our society ever been different from what it is now?
3. Ask each group to share both their pictures and discussion results.
4. Discuss:
   • The societal pressures around body image.
   • How these pressures can lead kids to try to change their weight and shape.
   • How many weight change methods can be unhealthy and risky.
5. Read the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)'s quote: "It's not our bodies that need changing, it's our attitudes" and then:
   • Ask your students what this quote means to them.
   • Discuss ways that kids can stand up to body image pressures.
   • Discuss how kids can make a difference in their school, their community and in the decisions they make for their own health.

Notes/Reflection on Lesson for Teachers

1. There's a high degree of body image dissatisfaction among young people today.
2. Body image dissatisfaction is a risk factor for the use of unhealthy weight control behaviours.
3. Restrictive dieting practices increases the risk for:
   • Under-nourishment at a time of significant growth and development (i.e., puberty).
   • Binge eating - particularly during stressful times.
   • Becoming overweight or obese.
   • Developing an eating disorder.
4. Young people who experience teasing about their weight and shape are at risk, not only for restrictive dieting, but also for low self-esteem and depression.
5. Students at risk may include:
   • Early maturing girls, who are more likely to be heavier than later-maturing peers and more likely to receive sexual teasing and attention at a time when they are emotionally immature.
   • Overweight students, who are most likely to be stigmatized, teased, excluded from social situations, verbally abused and bullied.