The Power of Partnership

What happens when a teachers’ union decides to investigate a complex societal issue such as eating disorders? They create a web that connects researchers, community  organizations, schools, teachers and their students. They make change.

The ETFO Body Image Project Reflections of Me is an example of how ETFO reaches out to partners to find current  research and strategies to shape best practices for teachers. ETFO  launched  the  Body  Image  Project  in 2004. There has been enthusiastic response from boards, schools, teachers, and the media. Teachers in 60 schools have  learned  how to use the project. ETFO began the Body Image Project because members told us about their concerns that girls as young as kindergarten age  were showing an increase in behaviours such as restrictive eating.

The research literature validated these concerns. Dr. June Larkin from the Institute of Women’s Studies and Gender Studies, University of Toronto, and Dr. Carla Rice from the Regional Women’s  College Health Centre worked with us to compile research related to body image and self-esteem. This shaped the materials created for the project.

More recent research has confirmed those initial concerns, showing that girls indicate body dissatisfaction at many different stages of their lives. It is now the norm for females of all ages to be unhappy with their bodies.1 A Canadian study of elementary school girls found that these fears are actually disproportionate to the girls’ actual healthy weight.2 In other words, it is to be expected that elementary girls of healthy weight will be unhappy with their bodies.

Boys are also at risk

OISE/UT professor Dr. Lorayne Dunlop-Robertson worked with ETFO to conduct feedback interviews at the schools where the  project was tested. She conducted further research to respond to the interview findings, which confirmed what we knew about girls and revealed more about boys’ per- ceptions of their bodies. Interestingly, researchers are indicating that body image is a significant issue for boys also, but it is more evident in adoles- cence than at younger ages.3 However, as is the case for girls, both thin and overweight boys have body image issues.

Dissatisfaction with their bodies appears to be connected to boys’ ideas about masculinity and sports. Recent research indicates that boys feel the social pressures to be thin, muscular, and tall. Research that shows the Barbie shape occurs naturally in only one out of 100,000 women, and the masculine ideal is becoming equally unattainable. Research also shows that  male models in popular magazines have gained on average 27 pounds of muscle over the past 25 years while losing 12 pounds of fat.4Researchers caution that many boys do not realize that this muscular ideal can only be acquired through the use of anabolic steroids.5

The pursuit of the unrealistic ideal body has risks for both boys and girls. For example, dieting is risky because it is strongly associated with the later development of eating disorders, the third most prevalent chronic illness among North American adolescents. In the short term, dieting is not only ineffective for both adolescent boys and girls, it actually leads to weight gain.6

Not  all  adolescent boys  enjoy school sports. Those who  do  not  see themselves as “the ideal” or those who are late developers are less likely to participate, which affects their life-long pursuit of physical activity and their overall health. As well, boys with low body-based self-esteem are significantly more likely to suffer depression and to be bullied at school. Both boys and girls with low self-esteem are at risk in this regard.

Working with community partners

ETFO worked in partnership with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) to develop curriculum resources (K-8), a parent- teacher video, and parent support materials for the Body Image Project. NEDIC director Merryl Bear, a key participant in the project steering com- mittee, continues to be an active partner, working as a facilitator at ETFO’s training  sessions.  Her  background,  expertise,  and  commitment  have provided us with dynamic and thought-provoking sessions. The NEDIC publications we use in our training sessions give teachers an understanding about the health and weight preoccupations among students of every size. This year ETFO is NEDIC’s partner in presenting their conference Body Image and Self-Esteem – Beyond the Shades of Grey. Conference participants will have an opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with leading- edge  international  educators,  activists, and  practitioners  in  education, public health, and sport and fitness. ETFO is sponsoring some member registrations.  Check  our  website,  etfo.ca,  and the steward mailing to find out how ETFO can support your attendance at this dynamic international event.

Other partners who have influenced and supported our work throughout the project are:

• AboutFace, an association that supports families of children with facial differences
• Dr. Gail McVey, associate scientist, Population Health Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, and assistant professor of public health sciences, Univer- sity of Toronto
• Toronto Public Health dieticians and nutri- tion department
• Carolyn Mayeur, executive director, Danielle’s Place, an eating disorder support and resource centre.

ETFO members have been active participants as well. They have written curriculum materials, participated in  video productions, learned how to be school facilitators, and trained their col- leagues.

A  teacher  who  participated  in  the  school training at Chester Le Public School in Toronto summed up the experience this way: “We had the privilege of becoming a pilot school for ETFO’s Body Image Project, and we have felt the direct impact of their work within our school, as well as our community, ever since. It has enabled us to grow and learn about a topic that has been silenced for far too long.”

We thank all of our partners because they have enabled ETFO to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. We could never have accomplished this alone.

References

Kostanski, M., Fisher, A., & Gullone, E. (2004). Current conceptualization of body image dissatisfaction: Have we got it wrong? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(7),  pp. 1317–1325.

McVey, G., Tweed, S., & Blackmore, E. (2004a). “How children see themselves.” Canadian Medical Association Journal, 171(9), p. 1025.

McVey, G., Tweed, S., & Blackmore, E. (2004b). “Dieting among preadolescent and young adolescent females.” Canadian MedicalAssociation Journal, 171(10),  pp. 1559-1561.

Pope, H.G., Phillips, K.A., & Olivardia, R. (2000).  The Adonis Complex: The secret crisis of male body obsession. New York: The

Free Press.

Stout, E., & Wiggins Frame, M. (2004). “Body image disorder in adolescent males: Strategies for school counselors.” Professional

School Counseling, 8(2),  p. 176.

Notes

_{1.  Kostanski, Fisher & Gullone (2004).}

_{2.  McVey, Tweed & Blackmore (2004b).}

_{3.  Stout & Wiggins Frame (2004).}

_{4.  Pope, Phillips & Olivardia (2000).}

_{5.  Stout & Wiggins Frame (2004).}

_{6.  McVey, Tweed & Blackmore (2004a).}