Take action and Sign the Petition for a
National Inquiry into Body Image

Body dissatisfaction refers to the negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs a person holds about their body and appearance. Body dissatisfaction can have a serious impact on all aspects of a person’s life, including physical and mental health. It can be experienced by people of all ages and genders, however studies report a higher prevalence among girls and women. Body dissatisfaction typically develops early in adolescence but increasingly among younger children. Recent research commissioned by Dove shows that 59% of Aussie girls are not satisfied with their body weight, 61% with their body shape and 63% with their face and facial features. Shockingly, more than half (58%) of girls in Australia are not satisfied with their overall appearance and only 16% of girls always think they have a good body.

In Australia, our young people are paying the highest price associated with body dissatisfaction – with limitations on their health, happiness, and future potential. Toxic beauty and body standards are fuelling unrealistic appearance ideals, driving body comparisons, and contributing to body dissatisfaction. To build a healthy, resilient, and confident generation, it’s essential that we protect the self-esteem and body image of our young people so they can grow up seeing their worth beyond how they look.

It’s time to truly understand the reality and impact of body dissatisfaction in Australia. We need a National Inquiry into Body Image to tell us the real cost of beauty and body ideals, so that effective measures can be put in place to protect and support the body image of children, young people and adults. The last national effort to address body image was an Advisory Group set up in 2009, before social media took off, and a lot has changed since then. In partnership with Butterfly Foundation, we are inviting you to stand with us and sign the petition for a National Inquiry into Body Image.

We ask Australian Parliament to establish a National Inquiry into Body Image so that every Australian child can grow up with the body confidence they deserve.

Source: Dove Self-Esteem and Social Media Report (November 2022)