It has been a big, no make that VERY big couple of days in ‘Beautiful You’ world. I experienced a personal and professional high yesterday when I attended the official handing over of Australia’s proposed National Strategy on Body Image at Parliament House in Canberra. After many months of intense debate, community consultation, and review, the National Advisory Committee on Body Image presented a comprehensive ‘way forward’ for the addressment of body image issues in Australia. It was my great honour to contribute to this committee for an issue that is truly my life’s passion.
It was an extraordinary day that involved hearing young people talk about what impacts on their body image, both positively and negatively, a chance to meet one of Australia’s most well recognised women, Sarah Murdoch, (absolutely lovely), watch the Prime Minister whiz past me adjusting his glasses along the way, listen to Danni Watts share her story of recovery from an eating disorder and have lunch in the Parliamentary Dining Room with the Minister for Youth Affairs, Kate Ellis. All this and the amazing feat of getting a federal government to both listen and respond to a cultural and health issue that for too long now has been dismissed as a low priority.
I also achieved a first for myself this morning with the publication of an opinion piece on the strategy and the importance of body image in The National Times. You can read the piece here as well as many other news stories related to the proposed strategy in The Herald Sun, Courier Mail, Adelaide Now, and many others.
In the coming weeks I will blog further both about the Women’s Weekly historic decision to print a cover of Sarah Murdoch sans photoshop and in full colour, and some of the finer details about what the strategy proposes both at a wider industry level and for schools, families and workplaces. Many months of hard work is now in the hands of Minister Ellis and her response is expected early 2010. I believe in my heart of hearts it will be a positive one.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic, Julesy. Well done! And great piece in the National Times. There's still so much work to be done, but this is a very promising and exciting start.
What an exciting step forward for the girls of this country. Congrats on being part of this movement.
I cannot tell you how excited these new guidelines make me! Congratulations on th result