Healthy Body

and Self Image:

Empowering your teen
Raise Your Hand If…
 Facts and Statistics
• 95% of people with eating disorders
are between the ages of 12 and 25.
• Between 5 and 10 million women in
the U.S. currently suffer from
eating disorders.
• Gear magazine reports that 1 in 6
cases of eating disorders diagnosed
are in men.
 Facts and Statistics
• Approximately 91% of women are
unhappy with their bodies and
resort to dieting to achieve their
ideal body shape.
• Only 5% of women naturally
possess the body type often
portrayed by Americans in the
media.
(www.dosomething.org)
The Progression
 Men and Body Image
• The rate of eating disorders among
college men ranges from 4-10%.
• The prevalence of binge eating is the
same among men and women.
• Male body image concerns have
dramatically increased over the past
three decades from 15% to 43% of men
being dissatisfied with their bodies.

(NEDA, 2012)
 Men and Body Image
•Men are often more concerned
with a combination of issues
related to weight, body shape
and strength.
•Men are less likely to seek
help.
(NEDA, 2012)
 Eating Disorders
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge Eating
Disorder/Compulsive
overeating

What are signs your teen

might need help?
(Mazzeo & Bulik, 2009)
Media Messages
Photoshop Disasters
 What’s the difference?
Body Image: Self Image:
– The way someone – The idea, conception,
perceives their body or mental image one
and assumes others has of oneself.
perceive them. – A number of self-
– This image is often impressions that have
affected by family, built up over time,
friends, social they can be positive
pressure and the or negative
media. (www.mtstcil.org)
(dosomething.org)
How can we empower our
teens?
“Empowerment is a multi-
dimensional social process that
helps people gain control over their
own lives. It is a process that fosters
power in people, for use in their
own lives, their communities, and in
their society”
(Page & Czuba, 1999)
 Challenge: Fat Talk Free
®Week
Fat Talk Free® Week is an
international, 5-day body activism
campaign to draw attention to body
image issues and the damaging
impact of the 'thin ideal' on women
and men in society.
 Challenge: Fat Talk Free
The Purpose:
®Week
•Educate others about the damaging
impact of pursuing the thin ideal and the
use of fat talk on women of all ages
•Inspire change in the way we think and
feel about our bodies
•Promote a healthy lifestyle and one that
urges individuals to live a balanced life in
mind, body & spirit.
 Thin Ideal vs.
Healthy Ideal
Thin Ideal
•Implies that a certain look results
in success, happiness, or confidence
•It negates so many qualities that
truly define who we are
 Thin Ideal vs. Healthy Ideal
Healthy Ideal
•This ideal come in all shapes and sizes and
looks different for everyone.
•It is a way of life achieved in mind, body
and spirit.
•It places emphasis on relationships,
nutrition, exercise and self esteem to
positively impact our body image and our
confidence
•The Healthy Ideal doesn‘t include fat talk
 When you change the
conversation with
yourself, you will
change the conversation
with others.
 Resources
• http://bi3d.tridelta.org/ourinitiatives/fattalkfreeweek
• http://www.abundancetapestry.com/self-love-series-101-loving-
yourself-quotes/
• www.dosomething.org
• www.mtstcil.org
• https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-males-and-
eating-disorders
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719561/
• http://eatingdisorderscoalition.org/documents/TalkingpointsE
atingDisordersFactSheetUpdated5-20-09.pdf
• http://www.joe.org/joe/1999october/comm1.php