Body Image - creating positive change

Image

Last week I posted about creating positive change around body image, and how we can come up with ideas of how to turn toxic messages about our bodies into positive reassurance.

Negative body image affects millions of girls and women each and every day. We are often overwhelmed with the influx of images of stick think girls in magazines and on TV, crash diets on how to 'loose 5 kilos by Friday' and celebrity role models who make us all think that 'size zero' is what you need to be to 'make it'.

Personally, like many of us, I have suffered with some negative body image issues for most of my teenage/early adult life. I have struggled with weight issues and the pressure to 'fit in', and, as I reach my 30th year on this planet, I have had enough.

It pains me to see the struggle girls and young women face.
When we are young not only are we critical of ourselves, but often we are so hurtful to each other. Girls can be very mean sometimes. We take our own insecurities out on others around us.
Instead of turning on each other we should be standing together, united, saying 'no' to negative body image and telling others how beautiful we really think they are.

So from this, came my big idea as to how we can create a more positive body image culture that helps girls and women of all shapes and sizes love and respect their bodies.

I take myself back to my high school days. These were the toughest for many of us. Trying to fit in, trying to feel accepted and beautiful. You see, I don't remember there being any real support programs run through my school on body image and how to deal with the negative feelings that may come up about yourself.

So, why not?
Well, that's just the thing. Why the hell don't we?

Why don't we create 'girl group' programs in high schools across Australia to get teenage girls together to chat about what body image means to them and how they think we can overcome the issues we face!
And it's not only girls who suffer from body image issues you know. There are truck loads of boys who face the very same problems. Fearing that they're not good enough, that they need to fit into a certain type of box to be accepted by others around them.
We could develop programs that support all kids out there. Teaching them all about body image, how to support others, how to love themselves, and what their ideas are to overcome this global issue.
I mean, this is where it all starts. These are the ones who we should be helping to work through this issue so that we can start to make a change for future generations.

If we could only make this part of each and every high school in Australia then we would have thousands of amazing young people to carry the torch for us all.

Together we are the only ones who can make a change!