Build middle school students’ resilience
against body dissatisfaction with the
Be Body Positive Classroom Curriculum
It’s normal for adolescents to be focused on their appearance and body changes as they go through puberty, but they are often isolated in their struggles. Mental health issues, stress, and trauma are experienced in the body. Adolescents need help thinking and talking about these issues in a safe community.
 —Matthew Wells, 8th grade teacher
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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, young people are struggling with their bodies and self-care more than ever before. The statistics paint a clear picture:
Nearly 2 million children, of all body sizes, in the U.S. today will have an eating disorder by age 20.1
Adolescent eating disorders hospital admissions doubled during the first year of the pandemic.8
According to a 2019 study, 51.7% of girls aged 13 and 14 with a social media account were likely to report disordered eating routines, such as skipping meals or strict exercising. 45% of boys of the same age were likely to report the same problems.3
Eating disorders have the 2nd highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder every 52 minutes.1
45 million people aged 10 and older in the U.S. reported experiencing body dissatisfaction in 2019. People who experienced body dissatisfaction faced poorer health outcomes, reduced engagement across social circles, school and work, and engaged in risky behaviors.3
The Be Body Positive Solution
Body dissatisfaction is not just an “image” problem.
It is a serious risk factor for a mental health breakdown in adolescents.
The Be Body Positive Classroom Curriculum gives educators
the resources they need to help their students thrive.
With this curriculum you will promote your students’ resilience by teaching them to:
Embrace their own unique bodies and recognize their strengths
Support themselves with self-compassion
Develop skills to critique harmful messages they receive about health and beauty
Learn sustainable, health-promoting self-care behaviors
Create positive connections with others
Develop appreciation and respect for diversity
“As a primary care pediatrician seeing primarily pre-teen and teen girls, I have diagnosed and treated innumerable patients with severe eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, and low self-esteem over the years. I truly believe that getting middle school and even elementary school aged children to develop a healthy relationship with their body will decrease the number of individuals who suffer from eating disorders and mental health diagnoses. I chose the Be Body Positive curriculum because I love the ‘competency’ approach which allows students to break down the information into categories. Middle school students are eager to talk about these topics with each other and break down the barriers previously put up about discussing body image, stress and other issues.“
—Karen Wolfe, Primary Care Pediatrician & Be Body Positive Facilitator
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Self-worth and body image improves:
The Body Positive’s program works. In a 2021 research study, 92% of participants of Be Body Positive Programs in Philadelphia public middle and high schools reported feeling more content in their bodies and having greater self-esteem after only five weeks of being in the program. Research on our new middle school classroom curriculum is currently being conducted.
Bullying is reduced:
Bullying associated with weight occurs more frequently than that based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.4 Being part of a Body Positive community will decrease comparison and bullying in the classroom and help students gain more appreciation for diversity.
STUDY #1Â
Stanford University research indicated that the Be Body Positive Model significantly reduced shape/weight control beliefs, body surveillance, and internalization of the thin ideal, while also significantly increasing body satisfaction. All of these changes were sustained by participants at 8 months post-intervention.
STUDY #2Â
Cornell University research showed that the Be Body Positive Model significantly increased body appreciation, self compassion, and intuitive eating while significantly decreasing an internalization of the thin ideal and disordered eating. All of these changes were sustained by participants at 3 months post-intervention.
STUDY #3
University of Pennsylvania revealed that prior to exposure to the Be Body Positive Model (BBPM), high school participants had low self-esteem and negative body image. After only five weeks of BBPM workshops, 92% of participants self-reported feeling more content in their bodies and having greater self-esteem.
The Be Body Positive Program is a multimedia,
body-oriented, social emotional learning curriculum
that includes:
- Twenty 30-minute lessons for each middle school grade (6th, 7th, and 8th—a total of 60 lessons)
- Guiding questions with sample responses
- Slideshows, comprehensive teacher notes, and a one-page summary of each lesson for easy facilitation
- Handouts and fillable PDF worksheets for student’s digital or hardcopy use
- Engaging videos and images featuring people that represent a wide variety of sizes, races, disabilities, gender expressions, and backgrounds, so all students can see themselves reflected in the materials
- Trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive content with special considerations for teachers in each lesson
- Creative activities that engage diverse learning styles, including movement, music, role plays, and art
- Additional support suggestions and materials for English learners and other students who need extra help
- Optional lesson extensions that align with subject areas such as Social Studies, English Language Arts, Health, and Science, so students can dive deeper into the content
- Alignment to Common Core Standards and CASEL Competencies
5
Five Essential Competencies that promote a
positive relationship to the body in adolescents
The Be Body Positive Competencies are evidence-based skills built upon 28 years of The Body Positive’s community-based leadership development, and are supported by the research of Niva Piran, PhD, a leading eating disorders prevention and resilience expert. The 5 Competencies are:Â
Build Community
The Build Community Competency strengthens the classroom community. Being part of a Body Positive community will decrease comparison and bullying in the classroom as students learn to think critically about the messages they receive about their bodies, and support each other to resist social forces that promote body dissatisfaction. Students learn creative ways to recognize and resist judgment and aggression while uplifting one another. The Build Community Competency teaches what it means to be an ally, and how standing up for others can help students feel more fulfilled. Students also connect with their wider community through group projects that bring the Be Body Positive messages to their school and family.
Reclaim Health
Children receive direct and indirect messages about their bodies and health that can lead to disordered eating and self-harming behaviors. Learning the Reclaim Health Competency gives students a simple education on what health truly is and how to take ownership of their own bodies, health, and self-care. Students learn to distinguish between facts and common myths about health, weight, and identity. They also learn about the importance of approaching health in a way that is focused on sustainable, healthy behaviors, rather than an obsession with their weight. The goal is to constantly shift the discussion away from questions like, ”What does a healthy/good body look like?” to questions like, “What messages will promote the most positive and sustainable self-care behaviors?”
Practice Intuitive Self-Care
With the Practice Intuitive Self-Care Competency, students learn to listen to and trust their bodies to help them make choices regarding their wellbeing in ways that are aligned to their needs. We start at the most primitive levels of hunger and satiety, safety and confidence, and needs for rest and activity, and then move on to more advanced levels of listening, such as reading social cues and responding authentically. When young people trust their bodies, it helps them in more ways than just knowing when they are hungry or full. It helps them know what feels okay to them and what does not. It is a foundation for them to listen to more subtle internal signals to know what they want in relationships, to be aware of their needs for boundaries, able to ask for contact when they need it, and to pay attention when they have a bad feeling indicating they may need to to protect themselves.
Cultivate Self-Love
Through the Cultivate Self-Love Competency, students learn to recognize their internal critical voice, understand its function, and gain tools to soften its harmful effects with kindness and self-compassion. Self-love can protect young people from self-criticism as well as from the harsh judgments they are subjected to by others. This is an essential skill that helps people avoid self-harming behaviors (including eating disorders). Research shows that cultivating self-love (also known as self-compassion) is a powerful resource that promotes resilience, emotional stability, positive risk taking, loving relationships, and improved health. Students learn to address their negative beliefs about their bodies, intellectual abilities, popularity, art or sports talents, and other aspects of themselves.
Declare Your Own Authentic Beauty
In the Declare Your Own Authentic Beauty Competency, students learn that the way beauty is defined in our society is extremely limited and exclusive. They learn to appreciate their own unique beauty, and to recognize and value the diverse beauty around them. The lessons focus on recognizing our place as humans within the natural world. They expose the systems that profit from people believing they’re not attractive enough, and the importance of honoring our ancestors as a way to cultivate appreciation for our inherited traits. When children recognize and express the beauty within themselves, they are less likely to tease or bully others and are more resilient against teasing and bullying directed at them.
Lesson Samples
Alignment Charts
Learn more about how the Be Body Positive Classroom Curriculum thoroughly satisfies SEL standards, complementing or replacing your current practices.
Common Core Alignment (PDF)
CASEL Core SEL Competencies (PDF)
Contact us if you want to learn more about the full scope and sequence of our curriculum: educators@thebodypositive.org.
How do I get started?
You can register as an individual educator (Trailblazer), or schools can purchase the Be Body Positive School Package. Upon registration, you’ll receive access to the online Be Body Positive Educator Training, which features videos, worksheets, readings, and many resources to support you in learning The 5 Competencies yourself, and how to teach them to your students.
The course takes about 6 hours to complete and will equip you with the knowledge you need to have the greatest impact on your students.
Additional training materials include:
- An FAQ to help you navigate common questions that students ask while learning about these issues
- Guidelines for how to role model The 5 Competencies for your students
- A lecture on trauma, social justice, and embodiment
- Group Agreements that are specific to Be Body Positive communities
- Materials to share with parents
Pricing
The fees listed below are a special rate for our initial launch while research is being conducted on the curriculum. Rates are set through December 31, 2023 and will change in 2024. Prices reflect the cost for a one-year license.
Trailblazers
Individual Trailblazers will receive:
- Access to the 6-hour online Be Body Positive Training for Educators
- The Be Body Positive Classroom Curriculum for a single grade level. (Additional grade levels of the curricula may be purchased for $99.)
- Access to the Be Body Positive Educator Resource Bank and monthly group support calls with The Body Positive team
Email educators@thebodypositive.org to get your group discount code.
Be Body Positive School Packages
Be Body Positive Schools will receive:
- Access to the 6-hour online Be Body Positive Training for Educators for your entire school staff
- The Be Body Positive Classroom Curriculum for grades 6, 7, and 8
- A one-hour kickoff consultation call plus quarterly one-hour support calls
- Access to the Be Body Positive Educator Resource Bank and monthly group support calls with The Body Positive team
To purchase a school package, email educators@thebodypositive.org and we’ll set up a call to plan your Be Body Positive school program.
The Body Positive is committed to equity in offering our programs, no matter what an individual’s or organization’s financial circumstances are. Please email educators@thebodypositive.org to learn more about scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Access the Educator Training and Curriculum?
Is this course available in any languages other than English?
Currently the materials are available in English. We plan to translate the training and middle school curriculum into Spanish in 2024.
Is your platform mobile-friendly?
Yes! You should be able to access all our content on your mobile device.
Do the courses have accessibility features?
Closed captions are offered for all videos in both the online educator training and the curriculum, and audio versions are provided for all handouts in the educator training.
Energy Exchanges:
Do you offer refunds?
If you complete the online Be Body Positive Educator Training, we are unable to offer a refund. If, within 30 days of your purchase, however, you start the training and decide it’s not right for you before you’re halfway through, please contact us at educators@thebodypositive.org and we will give you a full refund. We cannot offer refunds if it’s been more than 30 days since your purchase.
Can I share my online training or curriculum with others?
We ask that you do not share any of the content in the online educator training, your login, or the curriculum with other people. As a nonprofit, our educational trainings and materials are our primary source of financial support so we can provide scholarships to low-income individuals for our trainings and workshops, and continue to develop new content. Also please note that it’s extremely important that people not facilitate this curriculum without having gone through the training. The content is sensitive and requires deep understanding in order to avoid doing harm to students. Sharing your login or any downloaded content violates our Terms of Use. That said, we are happy to offer discounts if you’d like to take these courses with a group. Just send us an email at educators@thebodypositive.org for more information.
Are there group discounts available?
Do you offer sliding scale pricing?
I Think I’m Ready To Go For It!
What happens once I sign up?
Few philosophies related to body image leave a longstanding impression. The Body Positive and the people behind it are a rarity—my peers and I are testaments to that reality.“
 —Cassie Hoeprich, Former Be Body Positive high school peer facilitator
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1Deloitte Access Economics. The Social and Economic Cost of Eating Disorders in the United States of America: A Report for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders. June 2020. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/Â
2Toulany, A., Kurdyak, P., Guttmann, A., Stukel, T. A., Fu, L., Strauss, R., Fiksenbaum, L., & Saunders, N. R. (2022). Acute care visits for eating disorders among children and adolescents after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(1), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.09.025Â
3Bryn Austin, (2022). The real cost of beauty ideals: The staggering economic and social cost of body dissatisfaction and appearance-based discrimination in the United States. https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/real-cost-of-beauty.html?utm_source=VanityURL&utm_medium=VanityURL&utm_campaign=RealCostofBeauty&utm_id=RCOB%3f
4Puhl RM, Luedicke J, Heuer C. Weight-based victimization toward overweight adolescents: observations and reactions of peers. J Sch Health 2011; 81: 696–703.