D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Body Image, Performance Pressure and Caring for My Body

D2.3 A1.3 A1.5 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can explain what body image is and what influences it.
I can explain how being preoccupied with body image or athletic performance can lead to harmful eating habits and substance use.
I can make informed choices about caring for my body and know where to get help.

Words to know

body image
How you see, think and feel about your body.

preoccupation
Thinking about something so much that it takes over your thoughts and choices.

disordered eating
Unhealthy eating behaviours like skipping meals to change your body, strict dieting, or eating in secret. These can lead to an eating disorder.

eating disorder
A serious mental illness that affects eating, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder. It can affect people of any gender, size or background.

performance-enhancing drug
A substance used to try to improve sports performance or change the body, such as anabolic steroids. Many can be sold legally only with a prescription, and many are harmful to health.

supplement
A product such as a powder or pill taken to add to the diet. Many make claims that are not proven, and some are not safe for young people.

edited image
A photo that has been changed with filters, apps or software to look different from real life.

The mirror and the screen

You scroll past dozens of bodies a day: athletes, actors, influencers, friends. Many of those photos are posed, lit, filtered or edited. Over time, these images can quietly change how people feel about their own bodies. That feeling is called body image.

Today you'll learn how a healthy body image protects your health, and how being preoccupied with looks or sports performance can push people toward harmful eating and substance use.

Many photos online pass through several changes before you see them. Comparing yourself to the final picture isn't a fair comparison.

What shapes body image?

Media: edited photos, filters, and a narrow range of body types shown as "ideal".
Comments: from family, friends, coaches or strangers online, even comments meant as compliments.
Sports culture: some sports focus on weight classes, leanness or muscle size.
Puberty: bodies change fast and on different timelines.
Culture: different cultures value different body types.
Your own thoughts: comparing yourself to others.

A healthy body image doesn't mean loving everything about how you look every day. It means accepting and respecting your body, valuing what it can do, and not letting appearance control your choices.

Preoccupation with...	Can lead to harmful habits like...	Possible health effects
Weight or thinness	Skipping meals, strict dieting, cutting out whole food groups, making yourself throw up, misusing diet pills or laxatives, vaping or smoking to control appetite	Low energy, trouble concentrating, slowed growth, weak bones, heart and stomach problems; may lead to an eating disorder; nicotine addiction
Muscles or size	Over-training, extreme protein diets, unproven supplements, anabolic steroids	Steroids can cause severe acne, mood changes such as aggression, liver damage, and stopped growth in teens
Athletic performance	Energy drinks, unproven supplements, training through injury, skipping rest days	Energy drinks: high caffeine, fast heartbeat, poor sleep; injury, burnout
"Making weight" for a sport	Dehydrating, skipping meals before weigh-ins	Dizziness, fainting, poor performance, injury

How preoccupation can lead to harmful eating habits and substance use.

Eating disorders are serious

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are mental illnesses, not choices or phases. They can affect anyone: any gender, any body size, any culture. They often start in the teen years. The good news: people can recover, and getting help early makes a big difference.

Warning signs can include: constant talk about weight or calories, skipping meals, hiding food, exercising even when sick or injured, and big changes in mood or energy. If you're worried about yourself or a friend, tell a trusted adult.

Informed choices for caring for your body

Fuel: eat regular meals and snacks using Canada's Food Guide. Growing bodies need enough food, especially if you're active.
Drinks: water for most activities. Energy drink labels say they are not recommended for children.
Supplements: don't use them unless a doctor or dietitian recommends them. "Natural" doesn't mean safe.
Rest: sleep and rest days are part of training. Kids aged 5 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep a night (Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines).
Media: unfollow accounts that make you feel bad; follow ones that show real, varied bodies and skills.
Self-talk: focus on what your body does ("My legs got me up that hill") instead of only how it looks.

Worked example

Let's think through a performance decision

Liam, 13, wants to make the rep hockey team. An older player tells him a muscle-building powder and energy drinks before practice will help him "get big fast".

Spot the preoccupation: Liam is focused on size and performance, and is under pressure to change fast.
Check the facts: many supplements make unproven claims and some may contain substances that aren't listed. Energy drinks are high in caffeine and not recommended for children. Strength develops with growth, practice, food and sleep.
Consider the risks: fast heartbeat, poor sleep, upset stomach; possible unknown ingredients.
Make an informed choice: ask the coach or a doctor about safe training for his age; eat a balanced snack (yogurt and fruit, or a turkey sandwich) and drink water before practice; get enough sleep.

Liam chooses food, water, sleep and skill practice, which are safe and actually work, instead of a shortcut with real risks. That's critical thinking (A1.6).

Worked example

Let's reframe body talk

Sofia looks at a filtered photo of an influencer and thinks: "My body is wrong. I should stop eating lunch."

Notice the thought and the feeling (sadness, pressure).
Question it: the photo is likely edited or filtered. Bodies come in many healthy shapes and sizes. Puberty changes everyone at different times.
Reframe: "My body is growing and needs fuel. It carried me through the whole basketball game today."
Take a caring action: eat lunch; unfollow accounts that make her feel bad; talk to someone she trusts if the thoughts keep coming.

Reframing helps Sofia protect both her mental health and her physical health. This is positive motivation (A1.3) and a strong sense of self (A1.5).

Sofia's four steps for handling a harmful thought: notice, question, reframe, act with care.

Hands-on activity

Media reality check and body-thanks list

You need: a device with a grown-up nearby, or a magazine; paper and pencil.

Find three images of people in ads or social media. For each, list signs it might be edited or staged (perfect skin, unusual lighting, filters, posing, the same "look" in every photo).
Write who benefits if you feel bad about your body after seeing it (for example, a company selling a product).
Write a body-thanks list: five things your body lets you do (for example, "hug my little brother", "skate on the outdoor rink", "laugh").
Optional: with your grown-up, look over who you follow and unfollow one account that makes you feel worse.

What to look for: specific signs of editing, a clear idea of who benefits, and five abilities (not appearance) on the thanks list.

Your turn

What is body image?

Name three things that can influence body image.

Give one harmful eating habit that preoccupation with weight can lead to.

Name one harmful substance some people use because of preoccupation with muscles or performance.

Are eating disorders choices or illnesses?

What's the best drink for most physical activity?

Who should you tell if you're worried a friend has an eating disorder?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: eating disorders only affect girls.

True or false: most photos in ads show bodies exactly as they are in real life.

What do energy drink labels say about children?

How many hours of sleep do kids aged 5 to 13 need, according to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines?

Turn this into body-positive self-talk: "My legs are too big."

More practice: on your own

Explain how wanting to "make weight" for a sport could hurt an athlete's performance.

Why might someone start vaping to control their appetite, and why is it a harmful choice?

Name two risks of anabolic steroids for teens.

A teammate says, "You'd be faster if you lost weight." Name the factor at work and give an assertive response.

List two signs that a friend may be struggling with disordered eating.

Challenge

A supplement ad says: "Teens! Get ripped in 30 days. All natural!" Analyse it using three critical questions.

Explain how body image, eating habits and substance use can be connected in a cycle.

Write a short plan to care for your body during a busy sports season, covering food, drinks, sleep, rest and media.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Body image is...

Which is a harmful habit that preoccupation with weight can lead to?

Which can stop a teen from growing to full height?

Eating disorders are...

What's the best choice before hockey practice for a 12-year-old?

Which self-talk supports a healthy body image?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 7 expectation to explain how preoccupation with body image or athletic performance can contribute to harmful or problematic eating habits and substance use, and demonstrate the ability to make informed choices about caring for their bodies (D2.3). It builds positive motivation (A1.3), sense of self (A1.5) and critical thinking (A1.6).

How to help at home:

Avoid comments about weight or body shape (your child's, your own or others'). Praise effort, skills and character instead.
Make regular family meals a priority, especially during busy sports seasons.
Talk about edited images and supplement ads together.
Keep energy drinks out of the house for children.

When to get help: If your child is skipping meals, very focused on weight or muscle, exercising through injury, or showing big mood changes, talk to your family doctor. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) helpline is 1-866-NEDIC-20 (1-866-633-4220); check nedic.ca for current hours. Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 at 1-800-668-6868 or by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Common difficulties: Children may believe "natural" supplements are safe, or that eating disorders only affect girls. Both are myths.