ABSTRACT
As we have progressed through our analyses the voices of young people have vividly revealed the potentially damaging consequences of obesity discourse, especially when uncritically recontextualised by teachers and others in and outside schools. They remind us that pedagogy, in relation to the body, exercise and weight, is not just about ‘content’, particular messages and belief systems prevailing locally, nationally or globally but entails a set of relationships affording teachers and pupils different levels and forms of responsibility and control. We have heard young women lament being ‘invisible’, ‘ignored’ and powerless in a performative school culture, impotent to change their circumstances, despite being constantly on display, monitored, assessed, compared and judged. Some are so overwhelmed by constant pressures to be successful in meeting the expectations of parents and schools that they simply ‘give up’: ‘it is strange because sometimes I feel like I don’t care’ (Vicky, In). Claire (Em) attempted to explain why this happens:
A lot of teachers forget to praise and just state the crap parts . . . making students feel incompetent and unable to do exams. The fact students feel ‘dumb’ will have a negative effect, as students will be less likely to put effort into revising, as they will see no point as they believe they will have already failed! Also when you start to believe the negative thoughts you will start presenting the thoughts through your actions, i.e., if you feel like you can’t do something then you won’t be able to do it.
