Bringing body confidence education to US schools

Dear Friend,

Today’s young people spend more than eight hours each day on their phones and computers. They compare their appearance to edited and filtered images of people they see on their social media sites. 75% of adolescents report “body image distress,” feeling dissatisfied with their own appearance. We know from the research that having a negative perception of their own bodies leads to serious mental health consequences such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, risky sexual behavior, substance abuse, and low self-esteem.

BE REAL creates resources to help young people with their body image. We have evidence-based workshops for adults and curricula for youth that are designed to help children develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. 

Thanks to generous donor support, BE REAL is expanding access to our free educational resources, empowering a growing community of students, teachers, and parents.

Here are some of the projects we are currently working on:

• New Updated BodyKind! At BE REAL, continuous improvement and student feedback drive everything we do. When high schoolers worldwide told us they wanted a more dynamic, interactive experience, we listened! We turned our hallmark Lesson 2 into an engaging filmed podcast! This video edition guides students step-by-step through the core, scientifically proven concepts of the BodyKind curriculum. The new video will be available to educators on our resource platform very soon!
• Expanding BodyKind Worldwide. Did you know our BodyKind high school curriculum is available to educators worldwide? With existing adaptations like BodyKind Ireland, BodyKind Español, and BodyKind International, we are actively collaborating with partners across Europe and Asia to launch even more cultural adaptations. As global demand from educators grows, so does our reach, allowing us to bring BodyKind to more classrooms every day.
• Exciting News from Let’s Eat! Feedback from our Let’s Eat pilot in Portland, OR, shows that both students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the curriculum and gained valuable, practical tools to support both mental and physical health. A heartfelt thank you to the fantastic teachers, dedicated administrators, and incredible students who made this program a success
• BE REAL's BodyKind and Let's Eat are taught in International Baccalaureate schools in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Chile, and the Netherlands. 
• The Ambassador Program Is Growing. From giving interactive presentations to launching eating disorder prevention campaigns, our global ambassador community is hard at work! Under the direction of Ambassador Program Coordinator Leemor Ellman, the program is evolving with monthly workshop meetings, new initiatives, and an upgraded system to track our collective reach. Want to make a difference in your community? Visit berealusa.org to become a Be Real Ambassador!
• Partnering with Dr. Whitney Casares on My One-of-a-Kind Body Lessons. We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Dr. Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP, author of My One-of-a-Kind Body. Dr. Whitney has created lesson plans and student activity sheets to bring body confident conversations into elementary schools. We will be providing training for teachers and housing the My One-of-a-Kind Body lesson plans on the BE REAL Resource site starting on July 1, 2026. 

Thank you for your past support at GlobalGiving. We could use your help now more than ever to create Body Confident Schools and expand access to weight-neutral nutrition education everywhere!

Confidently yours,

Denise Hamburger

Executive Director of BE REAL