That’s according to new research that reveals while many of us might like to think that harmful body talk is something only affecting young people, these concerning attitudes and behaviours are rife among teachers.

Involving 1600 Australian primary school educators, the study revealed that three-quarters (74 per cent) of educators identified a need to challenge and redirect harmful body-related conversations in the staff room and more than half (56 per cent) said they wanted more support to help students build a positive body image.

Tellingly a quarter of participants in the study reported a desire to learn more about body image and eating disorders in general.

During this Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Week (September 7-13), teachers and school staff have been encouraged to ditch the body and diet talk to help protect their own and students’ mental health and body image.

Emma, a WA health and phys ed teacher who’s “dabbled in a bit of science and maths, as we do”, says unhealthy body-related conversations are sadly, in her experience, a regular occurrence in staff rooms.

“I don’t think the intent is ever to do anything harmful or do anything to cause distress in anybody else – I think it’s purely a reflection of the fact that we’re humans, and we’ve grown up, many of us, in environments or had education where we’re still exposed to these messages in social media that are quite heavily influenced by dark culture,” Emma tells EducationHQ.

“Some of the things that are still being said in staff rooms are really just a reflection of these deeply ingrained ways of thinking about food, exercise, nutrition and our bodies.”

Emma, who’s been teaching for around 12 years in regional and rural communities in WA, says a lot of work has been put into how educators talk to their students about food and their bodies, but many have their own struggles.

“Food and body conversations are a significant part of staffroom conversation and culture.

“I feel like we have made progress regarding how we talk with students throughout the school day, however, in the ‘safety’ of the staff room the impact of diet culture is still incredibly apparent.

“We recognise that it’s a really important space, but yeah, I think the way that staff are supported as well is another really important area because we know that staff can be struggling with these things, with body image and disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.”

Teachers’ experience of these issues can unintentionally be passed down to students, creating a complex dynamic where educators are expected to model positive behaviours while managing their own body concerns.

“It’s not an attack on teachers if they are saying these things in staff rooms because a lot of the time it’s a case of we’re a product of our environment and we don’t know what we don’t know,” Emma says.

Experts are sounding the alarm that when these conversations are happening around, or to, children this can contribute to students developing negative relationships with food, eating and physical activity that has serious consequences on both mental and physical health.

Butterfly Body Bright is an evidence-informed, whole-school body image program developed by The Butterfly Foundation for Australian primary school students from Foundation to Year 6.

Children’s body image researcher and manager of Butterfly Body Bright, Dr Stephanie Damiano, says educators play an important role in helping to shape young people’s body image.

“Kids are like sponges; they often ‘soak up’ a lot of the messages around them, and many look up to their teachers as role models,” Damiano says.

“We know that negative body image can limit how children show up every day and their ability to reach their full potential, as well as increasing the risk of developing disordered eating, depression, anxiety and engaging in risky behaviours later on.

Damiano says it’s essential that educators are not inadvertently sharing harmful messages about food, physical activity, bodies and appearance in informal conversations with students, as well as during learning activities.

“At the same time, adults are often still navigating how to have a positive relationship with their own body, and some need support too.”

Butterfly Body Bright isn’t only about upskilling primary school staff to support children’s developing body image, but the program has also been designed to help support body image, self-compassion and body appreciation of school staff.

More than 90 per cent of educators who completed the module have self-reported a positive shift in their body image, self-compassion, and body appreciation.

Since 2021, Butterfly Body Bright has reached around 100,000 primary school students and supported nearly 1500 educators with body image training and resources, including school culture guidelines, lesson plans, and online professional development for school staff.

After completing the Body Bright staff training, nearly three quarters (74 per cent) reported a desire to challenge and redirect harmful body-related conversations amongst school staff, by instead shifting compliments away from appearance, shutting down negative conversations about bodies, dieting and food, and reminding their colleagues that commenting on weight loss reinforces weight stigma and the idea that thinness is valued over larger bodies.

“I’ve used quite a few of their resources,” Emma says.

“Last month I used quite a few of their Body Kind August resources with my classes, which, yeah, they were fantastic.

“My Year 5-6 students in particular, ran a few activities, they took a bit of leadership and ran some activities with my younger classes...

“I think they found it a bit more valuable, delivering some of the content themselves; it sunk in a bit deeper for them, being able to take a bit of ownership of their learning.”

Tips for a whole school approach for supporting self-compassion and body appreciation in primary schools

  • Model positive self-talk about your body and avoid negative appearance-based comments – teachers can learn how to do this through the Butterfly Body Bright staff training, which is TQI accredited and a NESA approved PD provider
  • Practice daily affirmations that focus on body functionality, inner qualities, and strengths.
  • Encourage gratitude activities in the classroom. Help students reflect on what their bodies allow them to do. Butterfly Body Bright provides lesson plans to do this from Foundation to Year 6.
  • Use inclusive language that celebrates diversity in bodies, abilities, and appearances.
  • Foster a safe environment by ensuring appearance-based teasing and bullying is not tolerated.
  • Engage in mindful movement that focuses on enjoyment and fun, not appearance.
  • Seek support for yourself or a student. Butterfly’s National Helpline is a great place to start.