Innovate - Psychology and Education: Number 27

Number 27

Here is the latest edition of YouthMoves – a news-sheet for people interested in youth issues in Australia

Written and Produced by Kirrilie Smout, Psychologist, Speaker and Youth Specialist

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of YouthMoves, a news-sheet that gives ‘snatches’ of youth news, info & resources relevant to busy people relating to teens.

What’s in this issue?

- Girls and Diets

- “Health-focussed eating” versus “weight-focussed eating”

- PLUS find out about useful youth resources

- PLUS find out about upcoming youth events

- Our contact details

- How to unsubscribe OR join up friends and colleagues to this newsletter

If you would like to see the back issues of Youth Moves log onto our website www.innovateonline.net

If I can assist your work with young people in any way (by offering counselling services, speaking/training or just answering a question about youth issues), please feel free to phone me on 8357 1711, or email kirriliesmout@innovateonline.net.

P.S. I am often asked about reprints: Please feel free to reprint articles in school newsletters providing the following acknowledgement is made: Kirrilie Smout, Innovate Psychology and Education, www.innovateonline.net.

GIRLS AND DIETS

Many teachers and parents I know are concerned about the level of body image worries, dieting and disordered eating in young women in their schools and homes. The research tells us that 85% of Australian young women are dissatisfied with their appearance. The young women I see in counselling tell me body image dissatisfaction interferes with their general level of happiness. Apart from eating disorders (which are rare – affecting about 5% of the population), there are two major problems associated with girls’ feeling dissatisfied with how they look. First, girls who don’t like their bodies tend to avoid activities which are potentially important, valuable and fun. For example, many teenage girls, because of their feelings about their appearance, avoid going swimming, exercising in public, wearing certain kinds of clothes, drawing attention to themselves in any way, asking questions in class, making new groups of friends – and so on. Second, girls who don’t like their bodies tend to engage in activities which are potentially destructive. For example, many teenage girls who don’t like their body find other unhelpful ways to feel better about themselves, use laxatives, exercise excessively, occasionally vomit, talk negatively about themselves and diet. What can we do about helping young women feel positive about their bodies and at the same time focus on being healthy? I talk through six strategies with young women, but let me just outline the first three.

First, we need to help young women change their focus from weight/shape to health. We need to stop talking to young people about calories, weight, “bad” food, BMI, kilojoules burnt in exercise and encourage them to also stop talking and thinking in these ways. Instead, we should be talking about health, fitness, appreciation of food, getting in touch with appetite, “sometimes food” vs. “everyday food”, nutrition and everyday activity. See the “Forum” column in this newsletter for some more examples of this subtle but important difference in approach.

Second, we need to help young women reduce the time they spend evaluating their appearance. We can help them do this by teaching them to avoid “evaluation triggers” wherever possible. For example, I tell young women to throw away their scales, stop looking at themselves in every mirror, never try on clothes they think won’t fit, talk less to other girls who are focussed on diets and so on.

Third, we need to help teens outsmart the media. We need to educate them on the “big business” invested in getting people to be dissatisfied with themselves and to want to purchase something to feel better. We need to educate them about the art of airbrushing and other media lies. Exposure to certain kinds of media make teenage girls feel decidedly worse about themselves, and we can help reduce this negative influence in their lives.

Most importantly, we should be committed to making body image a “talked about” issue in young women. For too long, body image dissatisfaction has been a secret shame for teenage girls, and it is time to address it head-on.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK FROM Friedrich Nietzsche (German Philosopher, 1844-1900)

“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently”

STATS and FACTS: 83% of adolescents have a mobile phone. Of the 17% of adolescents without a mobile phone, 47% reported feeling ‘left out’. However, 91% of those with a mobile respected those who didn’t feel they needed one.

APS, 2006

NEWS AND EVENTS

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Research Conference 2007, 12^th-14^th August 2007, Melbourne: The theme for this year’s conference is ‘The Leadership Challenge - Improving learning in schools’ and will address key issues related to building leadership in schools that makes a difference to student learning outcomes. Local and international speakers will provide news and stimulate discussion about the latest research on leadership that enables quality teaching and student learning. For further information, contact ACER: Ph: (03) 9835 7403, email: taylor@acer.edu.au; or go to http://www.acer.edu.au/workshops/conferences.html.

Working With Boys, Building Fine Men 5th Conference: Stories of success, 4 - 6 July 2007, Newcastle:
Teachers, researchers, and school leaders will share their 'stories of success' about boys' education, as well as the latest research, successful programs and strategies for working with boys. Boys in primary and secondary schools, from different locations and backgrounds will also talk about what works for them. For more information, Ph: (02) 4984 2554, email: boys@pco.com.au or go to http://www.pco.com.au/boys2007/.

What has Kirrilie been doing in the last term?

· Providing training to GP’s and other psychologists on understanding adolescence

· Working with local community groups in rural areas on communicating with teens

· Working with Year 11 & 12 students about how to revise effectively and prepare for exams

· Counselling clients one on one, this term particularly in the area of family conflict and learning disorders

· Preparing for her own maternity leave! Kirrilie is due to give birth to her second baby in mid August

“Health-Focused” Eating vs. “Weight Focused” Eating

Consider below the difference between “weight” focused eating and “health” focused eating.

“weight” focused eating

• It’s “bad” to eat this