According to the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, 90% of junior and senior high school girls diet regularly, and according to the Pediatrics Journal, 40% of middle school and high school age boys exercise regularly for the sole purpose of gaining muscle mass. At Southwest the REbeL club encourages students to stop body shaming and appreciate their bodies while living a healthy lifestyle.

REbeL meets Thursday mornings before school to discuss important teen issues including body image issues, mindful eating, exercising and negative media messages. The club, which is sponsored by librarian Lindsey Hogan, also works together to plan ways to spread the message of encouraging a healthy outlook and lifestyle throughout the school.

This will the second year that REbeL is at Southwest, and it will also be Hogan’s second year of sponsoring the club.

“[Principal Scott] Roberts asked me if I was interested in sponsoring the club, and I looked into the program more,” Hogan said. “It is such a great group with an awesome message. I instantly knew this program was important to have at Southwest and was honored to be sponsor of it.”

REbeL members are trained peer educators that work diligently to bring awareness of body image issues, which is something that is very prevalent among teens.

“I think the REbeL club gives out a positive message to the students of our school,” sophomore Rathi Narayan said.

Students in REbeL also develop leadership skills through  encouraging students to be confident in who they are.

“REbeL is such an amazing program with a positive message,” Hogan said. “I love seeing how the members grow from the program. My hope is they will be prepared to share this information with their peers and make an impact on society.”