Cloaked in promises of freedom and empowerment, a war has threatened the lives of millions of people of all ages, but especially the young. This is the body image war.

Hollywood, the music industry, and large corporations promise happiness, pleasure, popularity, and power if we would just buy what they are selling. But their tactics are smoke and mirrors, and their promises are hollow. From photoshop to misleading advertising to the use of paid celebrities, a cocktail of lies tell us how we are supposed to look and feel about ourselves.

And so many have bought in, leading to catastrophic results: eating disorders, body obsession, plastic surgery, steroids, peer pressure, and depression. How do we combat this onslaught?

The answer is to turn to God and the teachings of his Church. In Improving Your Body Image through Catholic Teaching, Dr. John Acquaviva shows how we have allowed everyone but God to determine the value of our bodies, and how this must change.

Relying on such works as Theology of the Body, Holy Scripture, the Catechism and others, as well as on his own history as a college professor of exercise science, Dr. Acquaviva explores the troublesome world of body image in the twenty-first century and leads 20 body image activities, including:

A body image survey to see how you view your own body;
An exploration of photoshop, and how it distorts our ideals;
Discussion questions on the Bible, and how we are made in God’s image and likeness;
An examination of Hollywood movies and celebrities;
And a review of your wardrobe that will help you be content with your body type.

Help yourself and those you love escape the trappings of a culture obsessed with body image so that you can come to see the true worth of the human body and the dignity God has bestowed on this temple of his presence.

Kevin F. Spalding

Voice