Body Appreciation Rational

Objective:

By the end of the Body Appreciation Workshop the girls will understand that the construct of health is multi-dimensional and relative to the self and the needs of the self. Our activities will work to foster a better awareness and appreciation for body functionality in relation to health and happiness. Movement can be productive, but it can also be fun, energizing and good for you. Our goal is for the girls to walk away from this workshop with the power and strength to express their individual happiness and wellness.

These days’ teen girls lack something very important, self-esteem. A majority of teen girls try to fit in by having the hottest clothing, perfect hair, and perfect bodies; while also trying to be cool, and popular. They do this in order to fit in. They worry more about their appearance, instead of working on their school work. Their concentration is on their bodies and clothing.

Girls low self-esteem, worries many teachers and parents. The question is, why does their self-esteem change, why they lack it, and why they focus on their physical appearance? Some experts conclude that a pre - teens focus shifts, the body becomes an all-consuming passion, and that is their main focus. "Self-esteem becomes too closely tied to physical attributes; girls feel they can't measure up to society standards." Significantly, girls are rushing to get whatever the other teen girls are getting, while affecting their self-esteem.

The attitude of teen girls who think that they do not have perfect hair, perfect bodies, or perfect clothing can wreak havoc on a teen girl’s self-esteem. Importantly, the question is how can we help them raise their self-esteem? Some opinions from experts and stay at home moms are, "Watch your own stereotypes; let daughters help fix the kitchen sink and let sons help make dinner." Self-esteem matters a lot, it is your courage, your confidence, and it is self-respect in yourself.

For decades teen girls all over the world have lacked self-esteem. Some girls will let people put them down and they will not stand up for themselves. They need to realize that we are all unique individuals, and don’t have to be a copy. Hopefully things will change and get better. It’s obvious that we need to take some action, and help teen girls understand that looks don't always matter. What matters is on the inside, your character and how you treat people; not having the perfect body, or perfect hair, but your inner beauty.

Action:

In order to fulfill our service-learning requirement, our group has several different components that we will be implementing. We will be working with the girls at Body Appreciation Workshop through a variety of activities, we will engage the YWLP participants in a setting in which they can experience leadership through the functionality of the body. 

The girls will participate in three different races: wheelbarrow, three-legged, and chair race. We will use bandanas to tie their legs together for the three-legged race. The chair race requires the girls to work in teams of three, where two girls will link their arms in a way that will support the third girl, who they will carry during the race. After, the girls will be split into groups, and each member of the group will be given a different body part to draw: feet, legs, arms, ears, and hands. The girls will make their drawings and individually brainstorm functions performed by their assigned body part, in relation to the races completed in the previous activity. After five minutes, the group will discuss each drawing, adding insight to each other’s ideas on body functionality. We will also have them participate in dance and yoga. We want the girls to experience what is fun and energetic. As in our readings from Body Outlaws “Fishnets, Feather boas and Fat” our girls need to be able to express themselves in a variety of ways, that build inner beauty and strong confident young women that can grow into great role models for their generation and many more to come.

Lamm, Nomy. “Fishnets, Feather Boas and Fat.”  Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image. Ed. Ophira Edut. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2003. 78-87. Print.