Brunswick County school promoting positive self image

BRUNSWICK COUNTY -- For many young girls, body image is everything, but with constant reminders from the media that "thin is in," sometimes that image can be skewed. One Brunswick County school is helping students learn that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You see it all the time in movies, on television, even on magazine covers at the grocery store: the picture-perfect image of what the media thinks a woman should look like. But, is it a positive image for young girls? Some Brunswick County administrators say no and they're teaching students about nutrition and the healthy ways to get fit. Middle school student Taylor Strickland said, "I wanted to get in this class because I think I'm fat." It's a scary statement when it comes from a teenager. Many young girls think negatively when it comes to their body image, so teachers at South Brunswick Middle School are trying to change that. They've developed a health and wellness course promoting healthy lifestyles, exercises and proper nutrition. The school's principal Patricia Underwood says the idea for the class came from her own self-image and the drive to get fit. Underwood said, "Wellness program for a group of young girls promoting exercise and proper nutrition Since it got started Underwood says her students have improved their views on their own self-image. Middle school student Lauren Pruitt said, "It's made me more confident. When people poke you in the stomach, you're like, don't do that. But, it's made me really confident." Underwood says the course has been eye-opening for many of her students, saying they've experimented with healthy alternatives and many realize thin isn't always in. Right now, about 20 students are enrolled in the school's nutrition class. In the future administrators say they'd like more students to sign up.