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In February 2006, the board, staff and volunteers participated in an intensive strategic planning process which initiated the repositioning and realignment of Jessie’s Hope’s direction within the broader field of prevention eating and weight issues in the province of British Columbia.
Prevention is about promoting healthy development by fostering resiliency and reducing risk in girls and boys BEFORE they start experimenting with unhealthy behaviors ie. dieting, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating etc...
Our society unfairly assumes that girls and boys, whose body size deviates greatly from the media influenced ‘perfect body’, are not healthy. Not so.
Jessie’s Hope encourages the importance of health at every size and is guided by the following principles:
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Human beings come in a variety of shapes and sizes. We celebrate this diversity as a positive characteristic of the human race.
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There is no ideal body size, shape or weight to strive to achieve.
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Every body is a good body, whatever its size and shape. Be recognized and accepted for who you are as a person based on your character, not your physical appearance.
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Be a critical thinker of mass media messaging. Understanding the superficial factors that messages convey.
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Celebrate the differences in body shape and size! That is what makes us all individually unique and special.
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Be responsible for the care of your own body.
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Healthy is not defined by body size; it is a state of physical, mental and social well being.
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A positive relationship with your food can reduce your risk of poor health, no matter what your size or shape.
Adapted from information developed by dietitions and nutritionists who are advocates of size acceptance: their efforts coordinated by Joanne P. Ikeda, MA, RD, Nutrition Education Specialist, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3104 (7 96)
Eating and weight issues are quite a complex issue. There are many factors that, directly and indirectly, affect us, such as our immediate environment; family, friends, peers, school, work place and community. These environments, for the most part, are influenced by the morals of society at large through the messages we receive on a daily basis. These messages influence our judgment and decision making process.
It is our hope that, through our work, each individual chooses to be a critical thinker of these messages, and embraces values similar to those of Jessie’s Hope such as self-awareness, nurturance, growth, and ultimately positive social change in order for us to live more harmoniously, joyfully, and at peace within ourselves and with each other.
We are committed to collaboration and teamwork; striving for integrity in all our actions and treating others with respect; being trustworthy, well-informed, and credible; being highly visible; challenging the issues with respect; acting responsible; inspiring self-nurturance and acceptance; harmonious living with oneself and others; inspiring self-acceptance.
We are working towards developing and providing evidenced-based prevention training programs and resources, establishing relationships with BC communities to enhance these programs and resources and to ensure the sustainability of these programs within BC communities to support girsl and boys around eating and weight issues.
Have a look around our website for the many resources, programs, and fundraising ideas that you can tape into. |
