YouthAware Programs

By Anna Furse

Study Materials

Gorgeous examines our relationships with our bodies through the ages, and how the media and our peers have influenced the way we view ourselves. This one-woman show is a theatrical Alice in Wonderland-like journey through time. Audiences will be asked to compare and contrast 19th century standards of beauty versus modern standards. Appropriate for young men and women in grades 6 - 12, this program highlights the importance of self-esteem and a strong sense of self. The dangers of eating disorders, beauty fads, cosmetic surgery and the media’s influence on body image are also explored.

Pre-Show Discussion Points

Why Do Young People Need to Think about Their Body Image Today?

• Each year in the United States, approximately 10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men struggle with eating disorders. (Source: The National Eating Disorders Association)

• By the time a girl is 17 years old, she has probably received over 250,000 commercial messages about beauty through the media. (Source: Mind on the Media)

• The average American model is 5'11" tall and weighs 117 pounds while the average American woman is 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by about 2% of females in the US. (Source: The National Eating Disorders Association)

• Studies found 50% of advertisements in teen girl magazines and 56% of television commercials aimed at female viewers used beauty as a product appeal. This constant exposure to female-oriented advertisements may influence girls to become self-conscious about their bodies and to obsess over their physical appearance as a measure of their worth. (Source: YouthXChange)

• 90% of all girls ages 3-11 have a Barbie doll, an early role model with a figure that is unattainable in real life. (Source: About-Face)

• Cultural pressures are also placed on men to look a certain way. In women with eating disorders, the focus is usually on thinness, but men tend to want to be muscular and gain weight. Boys and teens -- especially those who are overweight -- are suffering emotional trauma in their quest for bigger muscles, and setting themselves for possible future medical problems with the use of extreme diet, exercise and steroids. (Source: WebMD)

How do you learn to love what's on the outside as well as what's on the inside?

Post-Show Questions

• Why wasn't Alice able to listen to the voice that told her to be happy with who she was?
• How did Alice's peers affect her body image? What did their words do to her?
• What can you do to find a healthy, happy body image while avoiding the bad habits that can lead to teen obesity?
• Why do you think it is important for guys to see this program too?
• How does the media affect the way young people view their bodies?

Other Resources