There is no doubt that modern lifestyle changes have contributed to the problems of overweight and obesity among adults and children. Some school health and physical education programs are tackling the challenge of integrating healthier eating and regular exercise into the lives of students. But what about the social challenges that face children who are overweight? And how do media messages reinforce the bias they already experience among many of their peers? In these lessons, students will evaluate both their own biases related to size differences and the ways in which media shape those biases.
Professional Development
Studies show that school environments are the most common settings for teasing, harassment and bullying of children who are overweight. For guidance on what educators can do about size discrimination in their classrooms, read "Understanding Size Bias."
Objectives
Activities for the early grades (3-5) meet the following objectives:
- understand the purpose of adjectives;
- use adjectives to describe pictures of potential classmates;
- compare the use and fairness of those adjectives; and
- develop and commit to a classroom anti-harassment policy.
Activities for the middle grades (6-8) and high school (9-12) meet the following objectives:
- read and understand a newspaper article;
- understand and evaluate media messages;
- identify and develop solutions to problems; and
- act as agents of change locally and globally.
Materials
For early grades:
Handout: Letter to Our
New Classmate
Two magazine photos, one of an overweight child and another of a slender child
For middle grades:
Handout: Big, Fat Stereotypes
News story: “In TV Series, Some Reality on Weight.”
Access to television at home or school
For high school:
News story: “In TV Series, Some Reality on Weight.”
Online access
Essential Questions
- How do the media contribute to opinions about being overweight?
- Are television shows featuring the challenges faced by overweight characters inspiring or exploitative? Or both?
- At the school level, what can be done to be inclusive and more supportive of students of all sizes?
- At the community level, what can be done to encourage access to spaces that promote physical activity?
GLOSSARY
metabolism|məˈtabəˌlizəm|
(noun) a set of chemical reactions that provide energy for the activities and processes
of the body
obesity |ōˈbēs -sitē|
(noun) a medical condition in which an individual is at least 20 percent above the weight recommended for their height
overweight |ˈōvərˈwāt|
(adjective) having more body fat than is considered healthy for a given body type and
height
slender|ˈslendər|
(adjective) slim or thin
EARLY GRADES (3-5)
Reading/Language Arts/ELL
1. As a class, discuss adjectives – “picture words” that are used to describe people, places or things. Looking around your classroom, offer some examples of adjectives you could use to describe your desks, your activity areas or the view outside.
2. Your teacher will show you a picture of a child your age. Imagine that he or she is a new student who is joining your classroom. Together, brainstorm adjectives you would use to describe the new student. Discuss: What adjectives did you choose? Why?
3. Divide into pairs or small groups. Within your group, study the picture as you work on the handout, “Letter to Our New Classmate.” Use the word bank on the handout to fill in the blanks.
4. Now, compare your letters. What words did you use to describe the students in your classroom? What words did you use to describe the new student? On what did you base your decisions? What do your letters tell you about the importance of describing others fairly?
Social Studies
1. Discuss the definition of the word “harassment” (or bullying). As a class, provide examples of actions that might be considered harassment. (Those actions might include teasing, name-calling, threats, physical attacks, damaging or stealing personal belongings, or excluding somebody from an activity.)
2. Now that you know what harassment is, discuss how it can affect social groups such as classrooms, schools and neighborhoods. What happens when a member of a social group is harassed? What happens to the group?
3. Your teacher will challenge you to make sure your classroom remains a strong social group by asking you to draft a “no-harassment policy.” A policy is a plan of action that is adopted by a social group. Your plan of action will make sure that all students in the classroom feel safe and included.
4. In small groups, discuss what might be included in the policy. What student “differences” would your policy cover? What actions would you prohibit?
5. As a class, compare your ideas and draft your policy. As a further commitment to your policy, have each class member sign it.
MIDDLE GRADES (6-8)
Reading/Language Arts/Media Literacy
1. The New York Times story, “In TV Series, Some Reality on Weight,” discusses how overweight or obese people are shown on television. As a class, discuss some examples from television shows or movies you have seen. What roles do these
actors usually play? How is their weight most often incorporated into their characters?
2. Do your own research by watching one or two of your favorite television comedy shows. As you watch, take notes on the handout, “Big, Fat Stereotypes.”
3. Back in class, compare your notes. What did you discover? Are overweight actors often given the same types of roles? How would you describe their characters? How do the storylines for overweight characters compare with storylines for other characters? How do they behave?
4. In pairs or small groups, create a proposal for a new show that you will “pitch” to a television studio. Within your proposal, develop positive characters who have backgrounds, talents or situations that lend themselves to an entertaining program. Include casting decisions in your proposal, focusing on actors who are larger than average size.
5. Share your “pitches” with the rest of the class. Which shows would you like to watch?
Health
1. At school, overweight or obese students are just as likely to be marginalized as they are on television. As a class, discuss situations in the school environment in which heavier students are likely to feel uncomfortable. (These might include cafeteria settings or physical education classes.)
2. Consider your school’s physical education classes. What do physical education classes include? Are the activities accessible to all students, or are they just for athletes? In small groups, assess your school’s physical education program and how it contributes to student health.
3. Now, imagine that you can develop a new physical education program for your school. What activities do you enjoy that could be incorporated into a new program? (Activities might include rollerblading, swimming, rock-climbing or biking along with an outdoor environment depicted on a TV screen.)
4. Within your group, create a proposal for a new PE program. In your proposal, emphasize the importance of activities for all types of bodies and physical abilities.
5. Share your proposals with the class. Together, choose the best proposal for sharing with school officials.
HIGH SCHOOL (9-12)
Reading/Language Arts/Media Literacy
1. In the New York Times story, food policy and obesity expert Kelly Brownell says she is concerned that TV shows featuring the challenges faced by people who are overweight amount to “spectacle.” Keeping this in mind, read the story and consider the shows it describes.
2. As a class, share your perceptions of some of these shows, including “Ruby,” “Biggest Loser,” “More to Love” or “One Big Happy Family.” (Some of them, including “Ruby,” are available for online viewing.) What insights can be gained from these shows, if any? In what ways might they be detrimental?
3. Divide the class into two groups, with each group taking one of the following statements:
- TV shows featuring the challenges faced by people who are overweight or obese are inspiring stories of overcoming personal challenges.
- TV shows featuring the challenges faced by people who are overweight or obese exist only to make viewers feel superior.
4. Using these statements, hold a debate on the merits of these programs. Prepare for the debate by watching the programming, including scenes and the opinions of experts to support your arguments.
Health
1. While being overweight and obese may have many causes – including biology and genetics – one of them is environmental. Neighborhoods that once were safe for walking or biking may be less safe with an increase in car traffic. Local funding issues may have closed neighborhood parks and pools. Individually or in
pairs, develop a written evaluation of your own neighborhood environment from the standpoint of physical access.
2. Within your evaluation, include a map – either drawn or developed using computer software or a mapping program – that provides a visual element.
3. Now, propose how your neighborhood might be better planned to encourage physical activity. (You might include the addition of sidewalks, lighting, a bike trail, greenspace, a dog park or playground areas.)
4. Focus on one of these ideas. Using community and Internet resources, research the cost of including one of these improvements in your neighborhood. Be sure to consider the cost of installation and maintenance, as well as the improvement itself.
5. Write a proposal that could go before your City Council (or other governing body), requesting the improvement for your neighborhood. In the proposal, include the costs and the benefits to the neighborhood’s residents.
POLITICAL CARTOON (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) 
Reprinted with permission. Teachers may purchase individual cartoons for other lesson plans at PoliticalCartoons.com.
In this editorial cartoon, the artist makes a point about the state of childhood obesity in America. In pairs or small groups, discuss:
- What message is he trying to convey?
- How does he use irony to make his point?
- In addition to being larger than average, how are the children on the left depicted? Are they depicted fairly? Why or why not?
Individually or in small groups, brainstorm ideas for how you plan to create your own cartoons that address the issue of healthy weight levels without using ridicule to make your point. Then, draw and share your own cartoons with the class.
Standards
Activities and the embedded assessments address the following standards (McREL 4th Edition):
Language Arts
Standard 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Standard 6. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
Standard 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
Standard 10. Understands the characteristics and components of the media.
Health
Standard 2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health.
Civics
Standard 28. Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals
Thinking and Reasoning
Standard 1. Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
Standard 3. Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences
Working with Others
Standard 1. Contributes to the overall effect of a group
Standard 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
Physical Education
Standard 3. Understands the benefits and costs associated with participation in physical activity
Standard 5. Understands the social and personal responsibility associated with participation in physical activity
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