This course is designed for educators and health professionals to raise their awareness of the negative impact that normalized language about food and bodies can have on the mental health of children and youth and offers practical tips to foster both physical and mental well-being.

Participants will be prompted to discover their inherent biases about food choices, eating habits, body weights and shapes and will be challenged to adopt and practice language that is sensitive and inclusive. This course provides participants with many opportunities for self-reflection. That is, deliberately paying attention to one’s own thoughts, emotions, decisions, and behaviours.

Self-reflection facilitates a deeper level of learning and understanding and is linked to greater self-awareness which in turn can lead to self-improvement.