Dance educators, as the face of dance education, are responsible for teaching and promoting dance equitably regardless of whose body executes the movement. Sizeism and racism have often been the unspoken standards used by dancers and educators to judge the development and proficiency of professional and aspiring dancers. Although seeing these as…

This conceptual article explains how school counselors can increase awareness of size discrimination and address sizeist attitudes and biases in U.S. schools. Sizeism can begin in early childhood and continue into young adulthood, with damaging effects on student wellness. Sizeist biases in society are reflected in school systems. We suggest…

Terah J. Stewart challenges us to think about our attitudes toward fatness and fat bodies and consider how our campuses marginalize people based on body size. He shares his students' stories of dreading to enter a classroom for fear of not finding a seat they can fit in or being publicly admonished for being unhealthy and lazy. Clearly, negative…

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA, 2005), 10 million women and one million men struggle with eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Disordered eating is most common in adolescent girls ages 15-19 and is prevalent in a diverse range of populations (NEDA, 2005). For example, African-American girls aged 11-14…

A review of the literature identifies three main factors that influence student motivation to participate in physical education activities: (1) gender; (2) body image; and (3) enjoyment (Azzarito & Solmon, 2005, 2006, 2009; Lodewyk et al., 2009; Smith & St. Pierre, 2009). Males and females are motivated differently because of their…

Although physical activity may provide a means for adolescents to improve their physical appearance and subsequently lessen body-related concerns, the fear of being negatively evaluated by others can act as a barrier to physical activity. Moreover, environments where people are constantly looked at and evaluated--such as physical education…

School counselors play an important role in identifying and intervening with students struggling with disordered eating (e.g., Bardick et al., 2004). Research has shown that American Indian adolescents report higher rates of certain disordered eating behaviors than other racial groups. The literature on the prevalence and etiology of disordered…

Prospective studies have identified factors that increase risk for eating pathology onset, including perceived pressure for thinness, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and negative affect. Research also suggests that body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint may constitute prodromal stages of the development of…

Although some research has shown that dance enhances body image and self-esteem, other research shows that it sometimes has the opposite effect and causes dancers to develop a negative body image and even eating disorders. In dance, body image is not only about maintaining a certain weight; it can also refer to specific perceived body flaws.…

This paper describes the struggle to develop a female sexual identity and the importance of the roles of the father and mother in this struggle. The clinical illustration is taken from the psychotherapy of an anorectic adolescent.

This brief discusses diet, exercise, body image, and weight and also provides information for practitioners on how to measure these factors among youth in their program. It summarizes (1) what it means to be overweight; (2) what are body image and eating disorders; (3) what to do if you suspect that someone in your program is suffering from an…

Some have argued that the field of kinesiology is losing its vitality because of overspecialization and fragmentation; exercise science scholars are no longer able to find points of convergence with those in kinesiology subdisciplines other than their own. I contend, however, that this is not an accurate portrayal of every subdiscipline.…

First- and second-born adolescent siblings from 21 families completed a daily diary on each of 7 days. The frequency and content of siblings' conversations are described and the relationship between the content of siblings' discussion and their perceived academic, athletic, and peer competency is explored. Siblings most often talked about…

How children learn to construct and enact masculinities and femininities is clearly an issue for education and one that has been explored in a wide variety of ways. In recent years, however, our conceptions of gender have once again become problematic, particularly given a gradual slippage regarding the sex/gender distinction and the increasing…

Increasingly, researchers in the areas of eating disorders and obesity prevention are recognizing the benefits of collaborative efforts aimed at curbing the spectrum of eating-related disturbances. Research suggests that eating disorders and overweight tend to co-occur, and that individuals cross over from one eating-related disturbance to…