Body diversity, an unavoidable topic for schools

It is said that "the body is the vessel of the spirit". Any change, injury or malfunction can affect both mental and physical activity. What's more, this envelope is of considerable importance as we judge others by its appearance. We like some people, while others repel us. We know intuitively that the most beautiful people are more likely to obtain jobs or favors. As for the world of social networking, it's largely based on this superficiality.

All this has an effect on individuals. Most of us have physical complexes that we try to tame or rectify, depending on the degree of disturbance. This situation is all the more difficult for young people, whose bodies are...

When the body becomes a subject of disgust or mockery

When surveyed, most young people admit to having problems with their body image. From the age of 9 or 10, a significant percentage(around 35% according to this study) of children are dissatisfied with their bodies on a regular basis. They're constantly thinking about their height, hair, braces, acne and so on. All elements that are part of adolescence but make them feel inferior to other peers.

Social networks like Instagram contribute to this cult of beauty that changing bodies try to resemble. These gorgeous (and usually retouched) snapshots often lead to negative feelings among teenagers, who feel they have to look like this to be attractive, to succeed in life, and to other preconceived ideas conveyed among themselves and by algorithms.

Body image and academic success

We might ask ourselves what this lack of body esteem has to do with school? Yet research in recent years shows that school engagement and body image are much more closely linked than we might think.

Students suffering from body esteem problems will tend not to participate in activities to avoid the gaze of others and ridicule. Some will even miss days to escape the usual barrage of insults. This is particularly true of overweight teenagers.

Nine out of ten Quebec teenagers say they have witnessed weight-related bullying at school. This stigmatization, which often begins at a very young age, has quite significant effects on young people. As a result, the dieting culture is increasingly prevalent, leading to eating disorders in almost 18% of dieters. In French-speaking Switzerland, almost 20% of girls and 10% of boys go on diets, or try to lose weight by various means, simply because they feel they are too fat.

This is also a problem for young people who are genuinely overweight, and whose self-fulfilment is hampered by a climate of intimidation and stigmatization. Because while there is a real problem of childhood obesity on a global scale, the grossophobic culture does nothing to curb the phenomenon - quite the contrary. These people will exclude themselves or be excluded from social circles, which will generally lead to weight gain and, above all, avoidance of physical activity. Many obese students loathe physical education classes, which they perceive as a time of humiliation in front of their peers and the teacher.

Creating a positive climate for body diversity

Schools have an important role to play in promoting body diversity. This means being aware of the phenomenon and promoting the reality of fatness. Today's obesity specialists know that hundreds of factors play a part in the weight of certain individuals, and few of them are within the realm of individual willpower. Of course, healthy eating and physical activity contribute to a healthy body. Nonetheless, some people are able to achieve a higher body fat mass while practicing healthy lifestyle habits.

That's why it's so important for schools to promote these habits while demystifying body issues for students and, potentially, parents. It also means integrating mechanisms to counter weight-related bullying and intervene if it occurs. To address these issues, various programs have been developed to raise awareness among young people.

Companies and pressure groups have understood the importance of sharing this vision, whether it's the Dove company, which has often prided itself on representing different bodies in its advertising, or Canada's dairy farmers.

Many of these programs are based on messages reminding us that it's not all about weight, that we need to surround ourselves with people who make us feel good and, above all, compassion for ourselves and others. It's easy to beat yourself up because you don't look like the images on the networks. It's better to develop a critical mind and focus instead on the positive things about ourselves. This is the message that parents and teachers alike can share with children whose bodies will, in any case, undergo major changes throughout their lives.

Image: nicoletaionescu / DepositPhotos

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