Government action: body confidence
The government is working with a range of organisations to take action to tackle the causes of low levels of body confidence. An expert group meets regularly to steer the direction of the campaign and provide a conduit between government and industry.
Media and Advertising
A series of body confidence blogs has been launched in the Huffington Post and will continue throughout 2012. January's edition was written by Lynne Featherstone and each of the following months are being written by an expert in the field of body image.
Lynne Featherstone's Huffington Post article - January 2012
YMCA's Huffington Post article - February 2012
Manu Sareen's Huffington Post article - March 2012
Credos' Huffington Post article - April 2013
The government worked with the Professional Publishers Association to develop an industry award to recognise and reward best practice in the area of diverse body images in magazines. This is called the PPA Diversity Award and the winner will be announced at the annual PPA awards ceremony in June 2012.
Entry details and criteria for the new PPA Diversity Award
The government has formed a partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to share best practice at the international level.
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
Youth and Education
The government launched a teaching pack for primary schools to help children understand how images in the media and advertising are altered and the impact this can have on self esteem. This was developed in conjunction with Media Smart, a not-for-profit organisation, and is available to primary schools free of charge.
Lynne Featherstone launches the Media Smart teachers pack on body image
The government works with youth organisations to support their work on body image. Each year GirlGuiding UK publishes an annual attitutes survey which provides insight into a range of themes that affect young women and girls, including body image.
Lynne Featherstone's speech at launch of Attitudes Survey 2011
The government supports education charities to raise awareness of issues around body image. Lynne Featherstone spoke at the 20 year anniversary event of Changing Faces alongisde James Partridge, Rory Bremner, and Simon Weston.
Lynne Featherstone's speech at Changing Faces
Sport and Fitness
The government works with the fitness industry to encourage gyms and health centres to promote healthy bodies and realistic goal-setting.
Lynne Featherstone's speech at a Fitness Industry Association event
Fashion and Retail
The government worked with All Walks beyond the Catwalk to launch the Centre of Diversity. This educational institution teaches fashion graduates to design clothes for a diverse range of body shapes.
Lynne Featherstone's speech at the launch of the Centre of Diversity
Lynne Featherstone attended a catwalk show, Curves in Couture, hosted by Models of Diversity. This event featured models of different sizes, shapes, heights, ethnicities and ability levels.
Lynne Featherstone's comments at the Curves in Couture event
Beauty
The government supported the Endangered Species: Women event. This was one of a series of summits held around the world which challenges the culture that encourages women to hate their bodies.
Lynne Featherstone's speech at the international summit on women
International
The UK Government co-hosted an event at the United Nations conference, Commission on the Status of Women, focusing on body image and the media. The event was co-hosted with Thailand and Denmark.
Lynne Featherstone attends United Nations event on body image and the media
Lynne Featherstone's speech at United Nations event on body image and the media
Other government departments
The body confidence campaign team works closely with other departments on related policy areas:
Department of Health
- On 15 March 2011, the Department of Health launched the Public Health Responsibility Deal. This has been established to tap into the potential for businesses and other organisations to improve public health and tackle health inequalities through their influence over food, alcohol, physical activity and health in the workplace.
- On 13 October 2011, the Department of Health published Healthy lives, healthy people: a call to action on obesity in England. This sets out how a wide range of partners can work together to ensure that people get the right support and information to help them reach and maintain a healthier weight.
Department for Education
- On 6 June 2011, Reg Bailey published his independent review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of children, Letting children be children , which calls on government, businesses and broadcasters to play their part and protect children from the increasingly sexualised ‘wallpaper’ that surrounds them.
- In response to the Bailey review, the UK's media regulators have launched ParentPort. This website helps people understand the standards expected from the media, make a complaint and share their views with the regulators.
