The grant will allow the duo to develop, deliver and evaluate an innovative education program to grade 5 and 7 students to determine the effectiveness of a wellness-based school education program for the prevention of eating disorders.

The Caritas Research Steering Committee is contributing an additional $5,000 to the project.
Suzanne and Dianne will be co principal researchers for the study, Suzanne in her capacity with the Grey Nuns and Dianne in her role at the Alberta Mental Health Board.

Body image has been a long - standing passion for these two women. For them, the passion developed over time and through their work as nutritionists at the Grey Nuns. Dianne's history comes from her work in psychiatry while Suzanne's clinical experience is in the cardiac sciences. Five years ago the two developed a screen for detection and risk prevention of eating disorders called REDI TM [Risk of Eating Disorder Inventory]. "It was just an idea," says Dianne. "But it took off and people in Norway are now doing trials on it. We are on the leading edge with this kind of research. I don't know why that happened. It was a good idea at the right time."

A large part of the program Dianne and Suzanne developed provides body image workshops in schools. The program is now delivered by three volunteer dieticians. "The schools wanted prevention information," Dianne says, "The demand has been incredible." This summer alone, we will have presented to twenty-four classes, each with thirty students." Over the course of the last three and a half years, the program has been presented to close to 10,000 students, primarily in grades four to nine but also in high school.

The hour-long presentations typically focus on three questions: What is body image? What factors influence body image? How can we improve our body image? The interactive workshops have life-size images of body shapes, mirrors that exaggerate people's bodies and several other activities that help students explore their own perceptions of body image. Recognizing that talking with young people about body image needs to extend beyond the session, Suzanne and Dianne developed manuals for teachers and parents to use.

It is because of a lack of information on wellness approaches to body image and eating disorders that Suzanne and Dianne proposed an in - depth research study to the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. "Our model is based on going into the same classes for one hour a week for an eight week period," says Suzanne. The study will compare results from that group before, during and after the session with a control group that won't have received any of the sessions to see if there's a difference. Indicators will be based on students answering questions on self-esteem, body image, behavioural choices, knowledge and satisfaction among other things. Their total sample size will be 550 students.

There are many factors that influence how people feel about themselves-comments from others, fashion, life experiences, media. "We live in a sensory overloaded society," says Dianne. "We are way too focused on what we look like and not enough attention is paid to the inside. It's easy to be judgmental because the outside is what we see." She adds, "If I had one wish it would be for people to slow down and just take time to enjoy each other more and appreciate one another for who they are, their values. But our society is too fast-paced for that.

These kinds of things affect self-esteem and body image." Given this, it is essential that young people are able to critically evaluate the messages they receive and to have strategies in place to work through them.
By focusing on a wellness approach, the study will focus on developing self-worth, fostering self-esteem and helping students recognize that it is important to try and be the best they can be. There are many tips to help nurture people through this process. "One suggestion we give people is to say something nice about themselves while they are brushing their teeth," says Suzanne. "We all need to do a bit of positive self-talk"
"We really believe in what we are doing," says Suzanne. "You grow a lot doing this kind of work" Dianne adds, "The response, support and cooperation has been amazing. When you're faced with that kind of support you have to keep doing it. And then it becomes a passion." Dianne and Suzanne's passion has translated into changes they see in students who have participated in their program. "What's neat is how people feel about themselves after the workshop," says Suzanne. "If we can do that in one hour, imagine what we can do in eight."