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The Australian Government has taken action to promote positive body image and to build young people's resilience to negative body image pressures, by creating "body image friendly schools." For information on how to create a body image friendly school, please see the resources page.
Further information about body image is included in the information sheets on the Government's website.
AEU Concern
A 2008 AEU survey of its women members found over 90% indicating they were either “very concerned” (51%) or “moderately concerned” (41%) about girls and women with body image difficulties, eating disorders, self esteem concerns or who were self-harming.
High numbers of members reported the issues being prevalent in their own school communities and at all levels of schooling, even pre-school.
The 2008 AEU Federal Women's devoted a workshop to this issue and resolved to lobby the Federal and State/Territory Governments to respond to body image as a priority and to promote programs around positive body image to AEU members.
The information below is a snapshot of the work being done around the country and a starting point for educators.
South Australia
ACT
Western Australia
Victoria
NSW
NT
Mind Your Mind kit (chapter by chapter)
Tasmania
BACKGROUND
Following an Inquiry the Victorian Government allocated $2.1 million over four years to a Positive Body Image Strategy to implement a majority of the Inquiry's recommendations, as part of the Go for Your Life campaign.
Victoria
The Positive Body Image Strategy involves funding for community awareness, education and training.
The strategy includes:
In 2007, The Victorian Government committed to establishing a media code of conduct on body image and a forum for young people to de-mystify how digital imaging is used to enhance body shapes and sizes.
The Code outlines key recommendations for the media including:
'Go for your life' Positive Body Image Grants The 'Go for your life' Positive Body Image Grants fund community-based activities that promote positive body image messages and healthy lifestyle choices and build self esteem. Grants up to $5,000 are available for projects that target young people aged 12 - 25 years and actively involve them in managing the project.
The Positive Body Image Grants undertaken in 2008 were aimed to support local communities to implement positive body image health and wellbeing programs involving:
The Victorian Government continues to tackle the effects of negative body image with a $100,000 funding boost for the Butterfly Foundation for BodyThink, a community awareness and training program for schools and young Victorians.
Federal – Kate Ellis MP Minister for Youth, 6 May, 2009
Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis MP, launched an online body image survey to support the Australian Government's efforts in tackling negative body image and to also mark International No Diet Day.
The Government is developing a National Strategy on Body Image as overseen by the National Advisory Group on Body Image – Mia Freedman (former Cosmo editor) is the Chair.
Similar to Victoria, last year the Federal Government allocated $125,000 to establish a voluntary media Code of Conduct, which includes consideration of the following issues:
Further information and how to contribute to the consultation process can be found here.
For further information and to contribute to the consultation process go to.
Also of note is the Minister for Health's $500,000 National Eating Disorders Collaboration bringing experts in education, health promotion, public health and mental health together to devise a multi-disciplinary health approach.
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