Body Image: Deal with It Because All Our Bodies Are Great Bodies

Body Image: Deal with It Because All Our Bodies Are Great Bodies is part of the Lorimer “Deal with It” series. Body image is an important topic and very relevant to students in the grade 5-8 reading level range.

Body Image is organized into four chapters: “Body Image 101”, “The Internalizer”, “The Influencer”, and “The Witness”. The page layouts are colourful with many accompanying images, but the font size of the text and text on coloured backgrounds are less than ideal. The average reader will be able to cope, but students with any level of visual impairment may find this presentation challenging.

The illustrations are the strength of the book. They will likely appeal to students of this age group. The figures are sometimes active and sometimes at rest, with coloured shapes defining bodies and clothing, but no fine details, including no facial features. This works very well for a book about body image.

The text is less successful at discussing issues surrounding body image. The categories used to divide the information into chapters - internalizer, influencer, and witness -seem arbitrary and poorly defined. Overall, the content lacks clarity and focus.

For example, the lead paragraph in the chapter, “The Witness”, seems to assign blame and shame to the reader.

Every caught a friend putting themselves down? Have you come across someone being bullied or teased about their physical appearance? What was your response?
Did you say or do anything when you saw something that was wrong?
Well, why not?” (p. 26)

The next page continues with a paragraph headed “Make the right choice” that seems to excuse doing nothing. The text does not support the heading.

We may choose to remain silent because it feels comfortable or because we do not know what to do or say. These are valid reasons. (p. 27)

This is the end of the paragraph about making the right choice, but the choice discussed is remaining silent. Remaining silent may be a necessary choice if speaking up could put you or the victim in danger, but this says it is valid to remain silent if it feels comfortable.

The next paragraph has the heading “Supporting others looks good”. Looks good to whom?
These examples come from the first two pages in the chapter “The Witness”, and unfortunately, there are other examples throughout the book where the message that “All Bodies are Great Bodies” is missing or poorly delivered to the reading audience.

The excerpt quoted at the beginning of this review is another example of delivering a confusing message.

Whether you work hard at looking your best or were just born looking great, you know what standard everyone should be aiming for.

The word “should” is judgmental. It implies that there is one body image that everyone “should” be aiming for. Isn’t this the exact opposite of the subtitle of the book, “Because All Bodies are Great Bodies”?

With regret, the weaknesses outweigh the strengths, and I can not recommend Body Image: Deal with It Because All Our Bodies Are Great Bodies Body image: is a relevant and important topic, but this book adds little to the conversation.