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. 

Last year was incredibly successful for BE REAL. Thanks to generous donations, we’ve been able to make it possible for more students, teachers, and parents to have access to our free resources.

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

• BE REAL’s BodyKind high school body image curriculum is available to educators worldwide. In 2025, we more than doubled our overall reach, marking the most significant year of growth in BodyKind’s history.
• Let’s Eat is thriving. Be Real launched the curriculum on April 1, 2025, and it reached nearly as many students as BodyKind in its first year. We are currently pilot testing Let’s Eat in two middle schools in Portland, Oregon and at UNC Charlotte in February 2026.
• The BE REAL Ambassador program is expanding. In 2025, 51 ambassadors joined the program, growing our community to more than 150 ambassadors globally. Ambassadors help spread our resources and share their experiences during our quarterly meetings.
• Tune in with Denise. Be Real was featured in 3 podcasts, in 2025 – Sunnyside Up Podcast with Anna Lutz and Elizabeth Davenport (August), Burnt Toast Podcast with Virginia Sole-Smith (September), and Nutrition Class for Your Inner TweenPodcast with Zoe Bisbing (October).
• BodyKind has 4 publications. BodyKind’s fourth academic publication is featured in the Body Image Journal. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) found that BodyKind increased body appreciation immediately post-survey and improved self-compassion and body satisfaction at a 12-week follow-up. In 2024, we were featured again in Body Image Journal on BodyKind's Irish cultural adaptation. In 2023, we were once again featured in Body Image Journal on BodyKind's pilot in Minneapolis, and in BMC Public Health on BodyKind's RCT protocol.

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