Positive Body Image

The team at the QV Women's Centre continues to work with young women to address their top challenge – Body Image.

Body image is about how we feel and think about our bodies. A wide range of factors influence how we see ourselves and each other, and have an impact on positive body image.

Positive body image is about feeling at home in our bodies, being confident and happy with whom we are, and resisting pressure to realise unrealistic and unattainable ‘beauty ideals’. Negative body image is when we feel uncomfortable about ourselves and have distorted perceptions of our bodies.

The media has a significant impact on women's perceptions of themselves that can have an effect on self-esteem and physical and mental wellbeing. The proliferation of digital imaging techniques used by the media presents images of women that are increasingly unrealistic and unattainable and many young women remain unaware that the so-called ‘ideal body’ has been digitally retouched and air-brushed to ‘perfection’ through computer-aided manipulation.

According to national surveys conducted by Mission Australia, body image continues to rank as a top issue of concern for young people. This highlights the need to enhance media literacy and raise awareness among young women of the negative effects digital imaging has on body image.

Through collective action with young women, school communities, community organisations, the media and government agencies, QV Women's Centre’s positive body image project aims to promote young women’s health and wellbeing. The project engages young women to take the lead in educating young people about the media’s impact on body image and influence the media to present healthy, diverse and positive images of women.

YOU CAN TAKE ACTION!

Get wise!

Visit the Positive Body Image page in the Infohub for more information and resources.

Download a copy of the Victorian Voluntary Media Code of Conduct on Body Image

Get media savvy!

Organise an activity to share ideas on filtering and understanding media messages concerning body image. Download a copy of QVWC’s Young women, body image and the digital age kit (PDF) 1.99 MB.

Get talking!

Contribute articles on positive body image through websites such as Youth Central and REAL Magazine.

Get connected!

Link to other positive body image initiatives across Victoria through the QVWCT Positive Body Image community map 2009. On the map select from the legend on the top right hand side to view programs.