How does celebrity culture and media influence body image?

Why is it that ‘the latest look’ is often nothing like people actually are in the real world? What look did you hanker after growing up? Trends may move on, but young people’s aspiration – and anxiety – is timeless.

No matter what your family background or cultural identity is, it's important to celebrate diversity and respect differences. Our action checklist will help you and your child do just that.

Worried that all your daughter ever sees in magazines and on screen are unrealistic images of ‘perfect’ women? Our fun activity plan will let you both give the stereotypes a makeover.

Young people today are surrounded by a celebrity culture that's hard to compete with and could have a negative impact on their self-image. Celebrity influence is everywhere, from style magazines to Twitter, Snapchat, the world of 'reality' TV and airbrushed images. How is your child coping?

Spotting retouched pictures of women can be empowering for your child. Use our activities to make them aware of the use of Photoshop in the media, and help them to appreciate different ideas of beauty.

Reality TV shows have a huge influence on young people's lives. It’s easy to think there’s nothing we can do about it, but as parents we can actually do an enormous amount to counter the influence of our kids' media consumption.

Reality TV – the name suggests unscripted, unedited and unplanned. However, as one anonymous industry insider tells us, the truth is more complicated than that. 

Worried about the affect reality TV is having on your child? You aren’t being overprotective – there's increasing evidence that these programmes can have a big impact on young people. 

Whether it's 'size 000', the 'thigh gap' or the 'ab crack', it seems that every few months brings a disturbing new thinness trend. How can you prevent your child being drawn into social media's latest body obsessions and encourage them to put their health and wellbeing above body perfectionism?