If you are a Health teacher, a counselor, or a classroom teacher concerned about body image (which you should be!), you need to get this book, Healthy Bodies, right away…. I can’t say enough about the author, Kathy Kater. We’ve been using the first edition of her curriculum, Healthy Body Image, for the past few years and have found great success with it.
She really tackles the issue at the root, looking at the risks factors for eating disorders and obesity, by teaching kids the most important lesson of all… changing bodies are a part of puberty and everybody is in this together. Teasing is not cool, and supporting each other is.
We’ve used it in 6th grade, but recommended that the elementary teachers take it on down to 4th or 5th, before puberty really starts kicking in. Regardless of what age a child’s body starts changing, their peers are growing at different speeds. They all need to be educated on what to expect so that a community norm of acceptance and support can be cultivated.
The only complaint I have about this curriculum is that it wasn’t around when I was ten!
Check out Kathy’s book for parents… I highly recommend it: Real Kids Come in All Sizes
Click here to find the Healthy Bodies curriculum on Amazon.
