Services

“Dieting by teenage girls in an effort to control body weight is well documented. In fact obesity phobia is so pervasive among female adolescents that it has been described as a normative discontent” (Ryan, Gibney & Flynn, 1998. p. 485).

Our vision in working with schools includes a multi faceted health promotion approach. Specifically this involves working in the following areas:

• Student support/peer support (see Peer Support Programme)
• Staff training/support
  (e.g. professional development, teachers as role models)
• Parent education and support
  (e.g. parent information events, forums for discussing concerns)
• Curriculum input
  (e.g. integration of body image/prevention issues across curriculum)
• Policy development
  (e.g. addressing weight harassment, valuing diversity)
• Developing and strengthening community networks
  (e.g. referral pathways and links with supportive agencies)

EDEN believes that an individually-based focus (or classroom-based focus) to eating and body image difficulties is limited where it fails to address environmental and cultural factors involved in the development of eating issues. Requesting and supporting individual student change may be unrealistic when tackling body and eating issues, as these issues are so heavily influenced by our socio-cultural environment, family and friends. This belief is a guiding philosophy in EDEN’s work and informs our whole school approach.

There is increasing evidence that traditional didactic prevention programmes, where students are taught about eating disorders possibly make the problem worse. They “potentially introduce students to dieting and raise the levels of dieting restraint.” (Carter et al, 1996). Also, dieting has become so normative that unlike smoking, unsafe sex or drug use, there is no pressure or support to act in any other way.

In her work with eating issues, Niva Piran (1997) states that “children have to feel that their environment supports them and is trying as hard as they are to change”. She notes the importance of harnessing the power of families and schools “in creating a supportive subculture, protective of adverse broader cultural influences” (p. 420). According to Piran, role models are very important in this process given the kind of sanctioning that students receive from them. She believes that young people should be helped to develop a counter-culture to support one another.

In line with this thinking EDEN has developed a whole school approach to the promotion of a healthy body image. We currently work with a number of schools offering student support, parent education evenings, school counsellor workshops, staff training, and resourcing services.