Civic education BODY SHAMING Body shaming is the act of saying something negative about a person s body. It can be about your own body or someone else s. 7 CLASS WORK Have you ever experienced body shaming or criticised someone for their physical aspect? Discuss. 8 Read below about some people talking about their experiences. What are they criticised for? Make a list of the things that can be criticised about someone s look. After five years of dating, my boyfriend told me he did not want to date me anymore because I was fat. I was so hurt, and for the next ten years, I was on a weight loss roller coaster and a downward spiral of self-body shaming. In 2015, I decided to stop dealing with FAT (Fear, Attitude, and Toxic people). With that decision, I lost over 80 pounds and wrote a book about my journey. I got badly bullied when I was a new student in elementary school, starting in kindergarten when I was five and lasting until I was nine years old. Every day during recess, one girl told me, You re so skinny that I can see right through you! 9 Look! It s a monkey! I was in middle school at the time and I decided to stop hanging out with friends. I m 63 years old, and I m still traumatised about body shaming experiences that I had as a younger woman. When I was about 22 years old, I went to my mother s house to be picked up for a date. I thought I looked spiffy, but my mother said How can you go out with anyone? You look like an elephant. I was crushed, and because of her harsh words, the date went terribly. PAIR WORK Make a list of the mental issues body shaming can lead to. 10 GROUP WORK Nowadays there is a social movement that promotes a positive view of all bodies. Can you explain the expression body positivity ? What is the difference with body neutrality ? Here are some tips to enhance body positivity. 11 Read them and explain them in your own words. Do you agree with them? Stop comparing yourself to others Focus on the things you like about yourself Surround yourself with positivity Compliment others freely Think healthier, not skinnier GROUP WORK Think of other tips in support of body 12 positivity and prepare a poster with useful advice to promote it. 174 adolescents