Publication date:
01 September 2009Length of book:
158 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810866454
Body image is a pervasive preoccupation for almost all teens. Nearly every teen has dealt with issues of height, weight, skin, and other features. And many teens have undertaken diets, engaged in body building programs, or resorted to surgery to alter their appearances. In Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, author Kathlyn Gay addresses all of these concerns to provide teens with a healthy way to think about themselves.
This book tackles such topics as the cultural standards of what a "perfect" body should look like, methods for changing appearances, and matters related to height, such as dwarfism and height discrimination. Throughout the book, Gay offers advice on how teens can learn to be comfortable with their bodies and move beyond unhealthy preoccupations with size and appearance.
This book tackles such topics as the cultural standards of what a "perfect" body should look like, methods for changing appearances, and matters related to height, such as dwarfism and height discrimination. Throughout the book, Gay offers advice on how teens can learn to be comfortable with their bodies and move beyond unhealthy preoccupations with size and appearance.
Even though body image is adequately covered in many titles, and there are plenty of books that address issues such as plastic surgery, eating disorders, and body building, this one is different. The author takes a holistic approach to the topic, focusing on more than just girls wanting to be thin and boys wanting to be muscular. There are also chapters on dwarfism and weight bias. The writing is easy to understand and flows well. The book is full of first-person accounts of what it is like to be overweight/short/disfigured, etc. Each chapter includes copious endnotes and a list of resources.