The seventh grade girls at Dana Hall School in Wellesley were role playing in a discussion, who's invited and who's not, and why.  A hostess excludes a person from an invitation list because she's overweight. Some friends go along with the snub; others argue against it.  Afterward, Nakamaru, a school counselor at the private all-girls school, talked with the students about who played instigators, who were followers, and who acted as activists by defending the excluded girl.

Nakamaru's lesson is derived from "Full of Ourselves," a new book aimed at heading off eating disorders in girls. The book serves as a course guide, providing a wide range of physical and mental exercises -- writing, yoga, nutrition lessons, catalysts for class discussion -- to equip girls to value themselves for who they are and not what they look like.  It's an ambitious goal, considering the unrelenting pressure of media, society, and peers.

Teachers College Press, in a statement, said it decided to publish "Full of Ourselves" because it stood out from other books on eating disorders by addressing "the broader issue of girls' wellness and social-emotional health."  According to the publisher, sales have been stronger than expected, although it did not release specific figures.

This article appeared in the December 7, 2006 edition of the Boston Globe.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/07/girl_talk/?page=1

Published Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006