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The ‘Body Positive’ Award

The ‘Body Positive Project’ aims to encourage schools, youth groups and other youth settings to actively promote positive body image in young people. The ‘Body Positive Project’ Award is intended to enhance and reward positive action taken in relation to promoting positive body image. Participating school teams will receive a ‘Body Positive’ Award for their school and a certificate for each ‘Body Positive Project’ team member when they complete their ‘Body Positive Project’.

Many schools, youth groups and clubs are already aware of the importance of body image to mental health and well-being and are actively taking steps to promote positive body image in young people. The ‘Body Positive Project’ is intended to recognise these endeavours and to provide assistance and a framework for schools and youth groups to promote positive body image. Participating teams are invited to take photos of their ‘Body Positive’ posters, projects and any ‘Body Positive’ events or activities to submit with their completed checklist. Teams may also spread the ‘Body Positive’ messaging via social media #Bodywhys #BodyPositive.

Research acknowledges that young people are the experts on matters which affect them. The ‘Body Positive Project’ is intended to empower young people to make changes within their own school or youth group setting to promote positive body image, media and social media literacy. Through participation in the ‘Body Positive Project’ and using the practical framework provided, young people can spread messaging within their peer context to challenge ‘body talk’, to reject harmful media messaging and ‘appearance comparisons’ and to make schools and youth groups places where individual differences and diversity are celebrated and healthy body image can flourish.

Please read through all sections of this page before downloading the ‘Body Positive Project’ information booklet and the ‘Body Positive Checklist’.

Why is the ‘Body Positive Project’ important?

Body image is consistently highlighted as a key issue affecting youth mental health. Negative body image is linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, eating disorders , alcohol and substance misuse, self-harm and suicidality. Research worldwide suggests that 75% of young people report body image distress. In Ireland research indicates that most (65%) of young people report body image concerns impacting their mental health. It is imperative that schools and youth groups support young people to explore ways to promote positive body image within their school/youth group context and their wider community.

The ‘Body Positive Project’ aims to:

✔️Promote positive body image and self-esteem in young people.

✔️Promote a positive peer supportive environment where positive body image can flourish and risk factors such as bullying or peer pressure are reduced.

✔️Promote media literacy through education to challenge the negative effects of media images and social media to body image and mental health.

✔️Promote balance in messages on healthy eating and healthy living in school and youth group settings.

Why are schools and youth groups good places to promote positive body image?

Children and young people spend a significant portion of their time within these settings. Social interaction and play are an important part of their development. Behaviours and messages from the media can influence conversations and games with peers thus unhealthy conversations in relation to body shape, dieting or body-building can become normalised. Through participation in the ‘Body Positive Project’ young people can spread messaging within their peer context to challenge ‘body talk’, to reject harmful media messaging and ‘appearance comparisons’ and make schools and youth groups places where individual differences and diversity are celebrated and healthy body image can flourish.

Schools and youth group settings are ideal for promoting healthy body image, acceptance of oneself and appreciation of diversity. They can do this through balanced health messages in relation to food and exercise and through promoting an acceptance of individual strengths and skills. Schools and youth groups are also in a position to work with families in promoting positive body image at home.

Supporting families

To help promote positive body image, parents and carers can be encouraged to consider the messages discussed in the classroom. This can be achieved by:

✔️Information sharing about the ‘Body Positive Project’ through newsletters to reach a wide audience. This could include a information sheet for parents/guardians on promoting positive body image in children and young people and a link to the parent’s section of the Bodywhys Body Image website.

✔️Body Positive awareness campaigns in schools which encourage conversations at home.

✔️Homework activities and projects to be completed at home to promote positive body image and acceptance of diversity.

The ‘Body Positive Project’ guidelines for schools, Youthreach centres and other youth settings

✔️Teachers/youth leaders/coaches should all to be provided with guidelines on promoting positive body image in children and young people, as outlined on the Bodywhys Body Image website.

✔️Schools/clubs to organise a ‘Body Positive’ week and commit to having it as part of their annual school calendar.

✔️Schools/clubs to designate one wall or notice board in a communal area to ‘Body Positive’ activities. This area should display the ‘Body Positive’ posters, logo and leaflets.

✔️Schools/clubs to organise a ‘Body Positive’ event to raise awareness of the link between body image and mental health, to inform children/young people that all of us have times when we don’t feel great and to consider the different ways they could support each other during these times.

✔️Schools/clubs to post photos of their ‘Be Body Positive’ activities on social media and tag #Bodywhys #BeBodyPositive

The ‘Body Positive Project’ includes activities within the following areas:

✔️Promoting positive body image

✔️Promoting a peer supportive environment

✔️Promoting media and social media literacy

✔️Promoting balance in healthy eating and healthy living guidelines

✔️Promoting awareness of the link between body image and mental health and the importance of supporting each other.

Becoming a ‘Body Positive’ school

✔️Schools and youth groups should audit all material displayed to ensure images do not endorse media appearance ideals and that a variety of body shapes are represented in images or posters displayed.

✔️Schools and youth groups should actively encourage students to develop a range of interests and provide a wide range of extracurricular activities for students to avail of.

✔️Schools and youth groups to use the Bodywhys resources to promote positive body image in students.

✔️Schools and youth groups to display Bodywhys ‘Body Positive’ leaflets and posters in communal areas.

✔️Schools and youth groups to actively inform parents about the link between body image and mental health and how to promote positive mental health in young people. Parental awareness and involvement can be encouraged through homework activities on body image, newsletters and/or information distributed at Parents Association events.

Promoting a peer supportive environment

✔️Schools and youth groups could consider developing a peer support programme so that older students can buddy with junior students - to ease the transition into secondary school or into a new youth group environment. You can find information about peer support programmes here.

✔️Display a ‘Body Positive’ suggestions box in your school/ youth group where students can submit ideas on promoting ‘Body Positive’ activities within their school confidentially. Schools/ youth groups may also use like to provide a similar box for students to post issues related to bullying and their name and class if they wish to make a confidential appointment with a member of the counselling or pastoral care team.

✔️Schools should actively encourage students to develop a range of interests and to provide a wide range of extracurricular activities to ensure students feel accepted whether their interests are academic, athletic, artistic or alternative. Students should be encouraged to develop their own unique interests and to pursue activities in these areas.

Promoting media literacy

✔️Schools should develop policies around social media and smart phone use in accordance with recommended guidelines.

✔️Schools should actively inform parents about social media rules in school and provide guidelines for parents on promoting media literacy in children.

✔️Schools could encourage parents to be mindful of screen time limits and social media use in young people and provide information on Cybersafe Ireland guidelines: download pdf here.

✔️Schools could encourage students to design posters to promote media literacy. Poster projects with images highlighting media techniques may be an effective way to encourage students to consider the difference between media and real life. Themes might include

✔️School debates on the pros and cons of social media may also be an interesting way for students to reconsider the impact it can have on their mental health. Themes may include:

Promoting balance in healthy living and healthy eating

✔️ Promote a balanced approach to healthy eating and healthy living. Encourage students to consider the difference between dieting and healthy eating, highlighting how healthy eating is positive as you are choosing to look after your body in a balanced way whereas dieting can be very negative as it may encourage unhealthy approaches to eating such as skipping meals, feeling guilty about eating certain foods or bingeing due to hunger. Ensure that healthy eating messages in schools and youth groups promote balance and acknowledge that extreme approaches to food such as ‘no sugar’ or labelling foods as good or bad may be triggering for vulnerable children/young people.

✔️Promote balance in relation to exercise. Encourage students to appreciate their bodies for what they can do rather than how they look. Promote participation in healthy activities as something to enjoy and emphasise the benefits of exercise for feeling well physically and mentally rather than for appearance. Highlight the importance of balance in exercise and the value of listening to our bodies. Over-training and/or obsessive exercise behaviours should be discouraged and general positive well-being prioritised.

✔️Schools, youth groups and clubs to prohibit use of body-building supplements or advice on special diets. Endorsing certain body shapes as ideal for sports should be prohibited. Schools should not distribute meal plans or dietary advice to students in relation to achievement of sporting goals or body shape. Balance in relation to healthy eating should remain the only message.

✔️Zero tolerance of performance-enhancing drug use in sports.

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