Working with Groups to Explore Food & Body Connections Eating Issues, Body Image, Size Acceptance, Self-care

Move beyond diets! Explore mental, physical, and spiritual issues related to eating and self-care. Develop a whole person approach that advocates health and fitness for people of all sizes.

In response to requests from wellness professionals across the country, we ve taken our trustworthy and familiar structured exercise format and applied it to the complex and painful issues your clients are concerned about: dieting, weight, healthy eating, fitness, and body image.

Each of the 36 step-by-step teaching processes included in this volume were contributed by 34 respected leaders in the field who have worked successfully with individuals and groups in community education, workplace wellness programs, eating disorders treatment groups, counseling, and consultation.

The easy-to-use format includes everything you need to lead a support group, make a presentation, conduct a workshop, or develop a program.

• Step-by-step instructions for each exercise
• Reproducible worksheets and handouts
• 36 mix-and match, field-tested exercises to fit your audience and time frame

Table of Contents

Icebreakers

• What kind of food am I
• It s my body
• Pyramid
• As I see it
• Diets I ve known
• My problem is . . . .
• Work of Art

Focus on Food and Eating Issues

• Easy as pie?
• Influencing factors
• Clean plate club
• Sensational diet
• Food house fantasy
• Spiritual hunger
• Food: the feeling plug
• Whole person snack pack
• Ideal patterns

Focus on Body Image and Movement

• Body parts
• Finding center
• Mirror, mirror
• Moving attitudes
• Physical activity continuum
• Sensual walk
• Past connections

Focus on Attitudes, Cultural & Personal

• What s my focus?
• Fat attitudes
• Myths and realities
• Beauty chant
• Fat chance
• Who says so?

Group Energizers

• Pleasant thoughts
• Body count
• Fans of Mozart
• Fight song
• Snack cafeteria
• Mindful eating experience
• Empty calories

Sandy Stewart Christian

An empathic therapist and creative workshop leader, Sandy Stewart Christian has devoted two decades to helping people heal from life traumas, including the pain of being overweight. Sandy also is editor of Working with Groups on Family Issues and the fifth volumes of Structured Exercises in Stress Management and Structured Exercises in Wellness Promotion.