This section of the website will have ideas for promoting body positivity, offer ideas for activities and writing prompts, and share some images and videos that can be used for discussion. Please feel free to use whatever suits you best!
Promoting Body Positivity
- Weigh yourself once a week or less, or get rid of the scale altogether. Your weight fluctuates constantly, and weighing yourself daily or more than once a day is not an accurate representation of your true weight.
- Stand further back from the mirror. People tend to get so close that they can see their pores, but why? No one else gets that close. If you want to see what other people see, stand back a few feet.
- Say the things you love about yourself. Thinking it is also important, but saying it out loud makes it feel more real. Be proud of who you are and what you love about yourself!
- Stop comparing yourself to impossible expectations. It's not fair to compare yourself to professional athletes, models, actors or actresses, etc. These people have coaches, nutritionists, chefs, etc. Your body is a result of your life, so don't compare your body or life to that of someone else's.
- Unfollow anything that makes you unhappy. Diet pages, models, before & after photos, etc. If they make you feel bad about yourself, unfollow them or block them. Instead, focus on what makes you feel good!
- Talk to yourself the way you would talk to your loved ones. Compliment yourself, say encouraging things, etc.
- Wear comfortable clothing. Forget about the sizes and just wear what makes you feel good! Not only are you more likely to actually wear that clothing, but you'll feel more confident and comfortable.
- Be grateful for everything your body does for you. Our bodies help us do the things we love, such as spending time with loved ones, playing games, going to the movies, exercising, drawing, singing, etc.
- Post honest photos. Stop trying to get the perfect angle, use the best filter, take a million photos, etc. Photos shouldn't be an obsession or something that make you feel bad about yourself. Not only will real, authentic photos help you feel better, but it will also help other people feel better.
- Recognize that weight does not determine health. You can be skinny and healthy, overweight and healthy, etc. What matters is that you feel good and can do the things you need and want to do.
Activities
These activities are designed for larger groups, such as classes, but you can modify them to be directed for your children, yourself, etc.
- At the start of the activity, ask everyone to rate their mood, confidence, and body image on a scale of 1-10. Then, watch some videos about body positivity (see below). Once you are done watching them, discuss the videos and the meaning behind them. At the end, ask everyone to rate their mood, confidence, and body image again.
- At the start of the activity, ask everyone to rate their mood, confidence, and body image on a scale of 1-10. Then, watch some videos that promote only certain body types. You might want to look at before and after photos, diet advertisements, etc. At the end, ask everyone to rate their mood, confidence, and body image again.
- Get a variety of pictures of happy men and women from online and create a Slideshow, which you will show to the class. After each photo, ask students to write down what their first impressions were of those people. What were their first thoughts? Afterwards, ask the class whose first thoughts were about appearance. Don't feel bad about it - it is common for many humans to do this. But WHY do we do it? Why is that one of our first thoughts? Why is this bad? What consequences might it have?
- As a class, discuss various sources of our body image (social media, family, friends, toys, video games, music, etc.). Afterwards, divide students into groups and assign each group a different factor that impacts our body image. They will do some research and then talk about it to the rest of the class. As a class, we will discuss each factor and the pros and cons of it in regard to body image.
- For this activity, you will need to separate groups. You might divide your class into two groups, or you might use two different classes.
Step 1: Come up with 10 different stories about crime that vary in severity. For example, one could be about a someone who stole some makeup at a store and another could be about a mother who left her child in a hot car while she went to the bar.
Step 2: Find 10 pictures of "unattractive" people. Use a variety of genders and races, but focus on what society typically considers unattractive (overweight, not smiling, abnormal features, etc.). Assign a story to each picture.
Step 3: Find 10 pictures of "attractive" people. Use a variety of genders and races, but focus on what society typically considers attractive (thing, smiling, symmetrical features, etc.). Assign a story to each picture.
Step 4: For one group, show the pictures and stories of the "unattractive" people and ask them to assign them a sentence. Options could include community service, probation, a few weeks or months in jail, years in jail, etc. Ask students to explain their answers.
Step 5: For the other group, show the pictures and stories of the "attractive" people and ask them to assign them a sentence. Ask students to explain their answers.
Step 6: Compare the answers between the groups. Are we unfairly biased toward people based on their appearance? Discuss with each group. If you divided the class into two groups, discuss as a whole class. If you used two different classes, discuss separately.
Writing Prompts
The following some ideas for writing prompts that can be used for lessons, journaling, stories, etc. How you use them is entirely up to you.
Make a list of ten things you love about yourself, but make sure they have nothing to do with your weight. Examples include your smile, laugh, sense of humour, eyes, kindness, work ethic, talents, etc.
Imagine you are a superhero. Describe who you are, what your powers are, etc.
AFTER: Think about how you described the superhero. Did you write about appearance at all? How did you describe the appearance of the superhero? Why did you describe it that way? If you didn't describe it, why not? Does the appearance of a superhero matter? Discuss.
AFTER: Think about how you described the superhero. Did you write about appearance at all? How did you describe the appearance of the superhero? Why did you describe it that way? If you didn't describe it, why not? Does the appearance of a superhero matter? Discuss.
If there was one thing you'd never change about yourself, what would it be and why?
Write a compliment to each of your loved ones.
AFTER: Write a compliment to yourself.
AFTER: Write a compliment to yourself.
How has the media impacted your view of yourself? Think about movies, social media, etc.
Describe the "perfect" body for both males and females.
AFTER; Why do you think those would be considered the "perfect" body?
AFTER; Why do you think those would be considered the "perfect" body?
Make a list of 10 things that make you happy.
AFTER: Does your body weight affect those things at all? Why do people think if their bodies were thinner, skinnier, etc. that they'd be any happier?
AFTER: Does your body weight affect those things at all? Why do people think if their bodies were thinner, skinnier, etc. that they'd be any happier?
Make a list of all of your favourite memories.
AFTER: Did any of them have to do with your weight or appearance?
AFTER: Did any of them have to do with your weight or appearance?
Images/Posts
Videos
Objectification and body image are prevalent sources of poor mental health. Dr. Lindsay Kite, based on her own research and experiences, describes how body obsession can be turned into body positivity. Through engaging online education and activism, Lindsay and Lexie’s work reaches millions of people online each year where they share the core message of Beauty Redefined: Women are more than just bodies.
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In this video, 8 women attempt to guess who much the other women weigh by pairing themselves up with the person they think is in the same weight group as them.
These women discover that weight presents itself very differently in different women, and it is impossible to compare themselves. |
This experiment asked participants to weigh themselves on camera. It starts by the women talking about their weight, when they last weighed themselves, their anxiety, etc.
However, they soon find out that they are NOT going to be weighing themselves. Instead, they will be destroying the scales. They discuss how this news relieved their stress, anxiety, etc. |
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This short video involves a woman who receives rude comments regarding her body, and she decides to use technology to look how all of these people want her to (thigh gap, bigger butt and breasts, smaller waist, etc.). In the end, she is dissatisfied with herself either way.
Don't comment on people's weight, body, etc.! |
Do compliments brighten people's days?
A young woman goes around and compliments strangers, and the camera catches how people smile afterwards and often compliment back! Instead of saying mean things to each other, why don't we say nice things? |
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