An interesting & relevant article in today's paper

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Fat can be phat, Ontario teachers say

By OLIVER MOORE

Globe and Mail Update

Ontario (Canada) elementary school teachers are being encouraged to

teach positive body-image messages to pupils as young as six.

Saying that they were moved to act because of pervasive media

messages that can leave very young children embarrassed about their

looks, the union representing these teachers announced Wednesday that

they will provide a new curriculum accepting of all shapes and sizes

of child.

The new approach is designed to stretch the perception of what

is " normal " in a society obsessed with youth, thinness and the

Caucasian ideal of beauty. The new curriculum considers entrenched

perceptions of race, colour and physical ability, with a special

focus on body size.

" Our members have told us that their students are increasing

preoccupied with weight. They report this trend in children as young

as four, " Ruth Behnke, a vice-president at the Elementary Teachers

Federation of Ontario, said in Toronto.

" In these times, children are being pressured to internalize

unrealistic and harmful expectations about the way they look.

Developing an appreciation of diversity is the basis of what we have

to say today. "

The curriculum will include different themes as children grow up. The

focus for the first few grades will be " accepting diverse bodies, "

grades three to six will concentrate on " promoting body acceptance

and building resistance to body-based harassment " and junior high

school will look at " questioning adherence to body norms. "

Also stressed in the new approach is a role for parents, who are

urged to celebrate uniqueness, to reinforce the idea that all bodies

are acceptable and to challenge public messages about socially

acceptable appearances.

The curriculum is being rolled out one day before international No

Diet Day and comes amid fears that body-image problems have trickled

down from teens to pre-teens and now children.

" From the moment children begin to think about their bodies, at age

4, they want to be thin, " EFTO president Noble writes in an

opinion piece also released Wednesday.

" By age 8, while both girls and boys are struggling with body image,

girls experience the issue much more keenly. ...by age 15, many girls

react to constant teasing and harassment about their bodies by

resorting to extreme weight loss and binge eating. "

The union developed its curriculum based on research of programs that

have shown to improve body image of young girls. Working from the

premise that children notice bodily changes years before they attach

values to them, the researchers concluded that prevention programs

must be aimed at very young children. The researchers say that

children must be taught that all differences in size, colour,

characteristics, ability, and overall appearance are " normal. "

Ten teachers have been trained to deliver the program and are ready

to share their expertise with colleagues around the province. The

union hopes that the program will be adopted by entire schools and

eventually spread across the country.

" A positive body image leads to high self-esteem, " Ms. Behnke

said. " It creates well-adjusted, emotionally stable, and happy

children who have the confidence to engage in life's opportunities. "