One of the most valuable things you can do about body image is to educate people about the importance of positive body image. Using your school as an audience you have the opportunity to create a positive body image campaign. This can be done in a number of ways, but the idea is to get information out there and to get people interested in doing something about body image.

Gather Facts

Do your research and find the facts that you find the most compelling. If they grab your attention they are more likely to grab your classmates’ attention!

Create a Presence

Find someone who is artistic or good at graphic design. The best campaigns have a visual cue such as a logo or a color scheme. Put together some posters and flyers that use your interesting facts and grab your attention visually. Place them in strategic locations that people will take notice. Put them all around school, bathrooms and the school cafeteria are great places to hit! Just don’t forget to get permission first!

Have a Kick-Off Event

If you can hold an assembly or put together an after-school event, gathering people together is likely to go a long way to get the word out and create interest.

Get an outside speaker or health teacher at your school to explain the reasons why it is important to promote a positive body image and how we can deal with issues like eating disorders.

Show a documentary film- such as HBO’s Thin. Go here for more information about this film and the resources available that go with this.

Get Creative

Idea: Come up with interesting ways to change the way people thing about body image issues. Maybe put together a candy gram fundraising event where people can pay a dollar or fifty cents to send a positive message to their friends.

Idea: Post signs in all mirrors and in locker rooms to remind people they are beautiful the way they are. Go here for affirmations you can use.

Idea: One of the best ways to raise awareness about an issue is to get everyone to unite. Can you get everyone in your school to wear something (a button, ribbon, color, etc…) to demonstrate that you are a school who cares about supporting young people with positive body images.

Bring Your Campaign Home

If you really want to spread the word, don’t confine the issue to your high school. Head to your community, talk to government officials, parents in your neighborhood.

Start a Chain

Want to really spread the word? Grab the students at your school who were interested or inspired by the campaign. Take a field trip to a school nearby and lead a workshop or pass out some information. Let other students know about this important issue and with students teaching students, we know young people will be more willing to listen. Ask each school you visit to take their new knowledge and bring it to another neighborhood.

This way we can begin to empower the wider community to understand the issue and to start helping to promote change!

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder go to our hotline page for numbers to call for help.