BBC Learning English
Words in the News
Body confidence
26 June 2012
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2012
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
A government guide to help parents teach their children how to be confident about their
bodies is being launched. The pack shows how digitally enhanced images of celebrities
affect youngsters' self-esteem, and it offers advice on how to talk to children about the
subject. Linda Hardy reports for the BBC:
This is what children and teenagers are increasingly faced with. An array of seemingly
picture perfect faces and bodies tanned, toned and transformed from what they once
were and it's that transformation that the new parent pack hopes to explain – showing
parents and their children how images are altered in the media, the actress Keira
Knightley before and after the effects of airbrushing. 20 year old Rachel Johnson is a
recovering anorexic, and says getting parents involved is key.
"I think it is education for parents, it's actually being able to talk to parents, actually
being able to ask those questions 'what do I do?'. And it's not there to scare parents it's
there just to raise the profile a little bit more just to get the children to talk about body
image."
Aimed at parents of six to eleven year olds it gives them tips on how to talk to their
children about their own bodies and is available online. It follows the success of a
teaching pack launched for primary schools last year which also revealed that images
aren't always what they seem.
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2012
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
an array a collection
picture perfect exactly right
toned in good physical shape
transformed changed completely
altered adjusted, changed
airbrushing alteration using computer effects
key crucial
profile awareness
tips advice
revealed explained
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/06/120626_witn_body_confidence.shtml
More about this story:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18531752