How students feel about their bodies strongly influences their decisions about food.

 

As an Accredited Dietitian and body-image advocate my “Beyond Fad-Diets and Perfect Bodies” seminar combines media literacy, positive self image and healthy eating in a meaningful and practical way.

My work seeks to empower students to look after their bodies from a place of self acceptance, critical thinking and mindfulness.

 

 

Let’s turn back the tide of body dissatisfaction and empower our young people to live healthy, confident lives

The Challenge

Today’s adolescents – both girls and boys – face constant connection via social media to each other, to celebrities, to the fashion industry, and to the weight-loss industry. This presents a very real challenge to developing and maintaining a healthy self-image. Body dissatisfaction is associated with dieting, self-harm, binge drinking, depression, reduced participation in class and sport, poorer school performance and unsafe sexual practices. Managing and improving self-image is vital to overall good health.

The Solution

My seminars address the problems your students face. I expose the problems with “dieting”. I bring students into an understanding of the complex interrelation between body image and food choice. I train students in the evidence-based practice of mindful eating as the healthy alternative to “dieting”. My seminars are fun, interactive, deeply practical, accurate and relevant. They are designed to empower teens to take positive steps to protect themselves and their peers from the toxic environment in which they live. My goal is to work with you to create a body-positive, food-positive school, where healthy attitudes and actions concerning bodies and food flourish.

What your students will learn:

My seminars and workshops cover 3 core themes. (Scroll down to see links to the Stage 4 and 5 curriculum)

  • Getting Skinny and Getting Healthy: It’s not the same thing
  • Mindful Eating : The safe, healthy alternative to dieting
  • Healthy Eating : Sorting fact from fiction

1 Hour Seminar from $5 per head for large groups, 2 hour session (seminar plus workshop) from $15 per head.

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Teenage girls reporting they are 'dieting', and want to be 'thinner'

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Number of females who list 'body image' as their number one area of personal concern

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Girls reported a healthier approach to food and eating after attending Meg's seminar

Beyond Fad Diets and 'Perfect' Bodies

Your school can be a body-positive, food-positive one. I work with schools to change students’ attitudes to themselves, each other, and food. The “Beyond Fad-Diets and Perfect Bodies” Seminar Series is complimentary to the efforts already undertaken in your schools, and thoroughly consistent with PDHPE and English outcomes regarding health, nutrition, and media literacy. I’m an expert in human nutrition and its intersection with positive psychology. We can work together to build a plan that suits your needs.
Work with Meg to build a positive school

Today’s teenagers are particularly vulnerable to undertaking unhealthy behaviours in an effort to achieve the ‘perfect body’.

We need to be proactive in inoculating our teenagers against the false, toxic images of perfection all around them.

A variety of options to suit your school

Need something different that’s up my alley? Just ask.

1 Hour Seminar

  • This interactive talk is suitable for large groups including students across different school years. We will challenge students to consider the degree to which their self-image has been shaped by the media. Students learn powerful strategies for creating a body positive attitude, and mindful healthy eating.

Seminar plus Workshop

  • In addition to the Keynote, this session includes discussion questions and small group activities. It is perfect for single year groups. The workshop digs deeper into the potentially harmful effects of unrealistic body standards on individuals and communities, and encourages the students in their mutual responsibilities to build a body-positive, food-positive school.

Parent seminar

  • Family members are shown to be extremely powerful in building up or tearing down self-image. Talking to children and adolescents about weight can be difficult. Even well-intentioned comments about dieting, weight or food intake can have a profound negative impact. This workshop equips parents with the tools for creating healthy conversations about health and weight.

Staff development

  • Pastoral care on matters of health, weight and body image is delicate, difficult, but also extremely important. I empower teachers to create a body-positive, food-positive culture within your school. This seminar provides evidence-backed, practical strategies on how best to talk with teenagers about health and food in a way that promotes positive body image and healthy choices.

Students, teachers, school-leaders and psychologists love this seminar series

Meg skilfully combines her knowledge and experience into a practical, empowering, body positive message. Meg’s voice is one that young people need to hear more of today. Collett Smart

Adolescent psychologist, Founder of Family Smart, Educator at University of Western Sydney

You gave me a really clear and better understanding of how I should see myself and what I can do to improve my body image. I feel better about my body now, so thank you. Stage 4 Student

Penrith Anglican College

I loved how it was a mixture of videos, interaction and talking. I made it really engaging, and also challenging as it made us all reflect on our self image and dieting. Stage 4 Student

Penrith Anglican College

You challenged many of the girls’ thought processes that were/are influenced by misinformation and unhealthy practices. What you had to say, and the way you presented it, was great. I have no hesitation in recommending you as a speaker to parents and adolescents of any age. Jon Wright

School Counsellor, Penrith Anglican College

Excellent communication in the lead up to the event. You knew what questions to ask to ensure the smooth running of the event! I found it extremely helpful for my own organisation. Jessica Chilton

Girls Coordinator, St Andrew's Cathedral School

Investigate Curriculum Links

PDHPE Stage 4 Outcomes

Self and Relationships

  • 4.1: A student describes and analyses the influences on a sense of self

Individual and Community Health

  • 4.6: A student describes the nature of health and analyses how health issues may impact on young people
  • 4.8: A student describes how to access and assess health information, products and services

Lifelong Physical Activity

  • 4.9: A student describes the benefits of a balanced lifestyle and participation in physical activity
PDHPE Stage 5 Outcomes

Self and Relationships

  • 5.1: A student analyses how they can support their own and others’ sense of self

Individual and Community Health

  • 5.6: A student analyses attitudes, behaviours and consequences related to health issues affecting young people
  • 5.8: A student critically analyses health information, products and services to promote health

Lifelong Physical Activity

  • 4.9: A student describes the benefits of a balanced lifestyle and participation in physical activity
PDHPE Life Skills Outcomes

Objective 3:

Students will take actions to protect, promote and restore individual and community health

  • A student makes healthy nutritional choices (LS.12)
  • A student demonstrates appropriate behaviours associated with eating and drinking (LS.13)
English Stages 4 and 5

Outcome 2:

A student effectively uses a widening range of processes, skills, strategies and knowledge for responding to and composing texts in different media and technologies

  • recognise the different processes required for responding and composing in a range of forms and media
  • recognise and practise responsible and ethical digital communication
  • use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate texts by reflecting on the validity of content and the credibility of sources, including finding evidence in the text for the author’s point of view

Outcome 7:

A student demonstrates understanding of how texts can express aspects of their broadening world and their relationships within it

  • compare and contrast texts that present alternative views of their own world
  • analyse how combinations of words, sound and images can create particular perspectives of the same event or issue
  • understand that people’s evaluations of texts are influenced by their value systems, the context and the purpose and mode of communication
  • evaluate the social, moral and ethical positions represented in texts

Outcome 8:

A student questions, challenges and evaluates cultural assumptions in texts and their effects on meaning

  • identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences
  • analyse how the construction and interpretation of texts, including media texts, can be influenced by cultural perspectives and other texts

Let's make your school a body-positive, food-positive one!

Let’s work together to turn back the tides of body-shaming and dangerous dieting that are washing onto your students.
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