Butterfly Foundation’s
Body Image & Self Esteem
Presented
Brenda Cheveralls & Sandi Fraser
The Butterfly Foundation
 Is Australia’s largest charitable organisation that supports Australians
who suffer from negative Body Image and subsequent Eating
Disorders through:
- Direct financial relief
- Online support and Toll-Free Helpline
- Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns
- Education Services to Young People, Professionals and Parents
- Community fundraising and events
- Research
http://www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/
Butterfly Foundations
FREE TO BE
A Body Esteem Resource
 A program aiming to build self-esteem and positive
body image in young people
 Developed by Eating Disorders Association (UK) &
the Dove Self Esteem Fund
 Designed to be delivered by education,
community, youth and health professionals
 Training workshop once a year in WA
What will be covered?
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What do we mean by Body Image?
Research
Influences
Strategies
Resources
Body Image
What is it?
The perception that someone has of their physical self and
the feelings they experience as a result of this perception.
Body image is how we feel about the way we look.
 Body Esteem relates more specifically to the thoughts and
feelings a person has about their appearance shape and
size.
Positive Body Image
Characteristics of body image can be both positive and
negative.
Positive body image:
 Positive self-esteem
 Positive self-confidence
 Good connection to work, school and community
 Involvement in sport, team and community activities
 Positive relationships
 Healthy attitude and relationship with food
 RESILIENCE
Negative Body Image
Negative body image:
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Low self-esteem
Low self-confidence
Limited connection to school, work & community
Relationship difficulties
Limited involvement in sport, team and community
activities
 Disordered eating
 Mental health concerns e.g. depression, anxiety, eating
disorders
Australian study, Mission Australia
2010
 1:3 females and 1:4 males ranked body image as
their number one personal concern (Nov 2010)
 Males report a high focus on sport, which may
reflect their high levels of body dissatisfaction.
This, in turn, has been shown to be related to
health risk behaviours
(eg use of food supplements, exercise dependence,
disordered eating)
 More than 70% of teenage girls want to be thinner,
even those of low weight.
Research
 Eating disorders have doubled in the last decade
 Disordered eating is emerging as a norm in Australian
society with 90% of 12-17 year old girls and 68% of
12 – 17 year old boys having been on a diet of some
type.
 Links to research projects at the Butterfly Foundation
Website.
Study- 869 school girls aged 14-16
One third ( 36%) of the girls reported using at
lease one extreme dieting method in the past
month ( crash dieting, fasting, slimming tablets,
diuretics, laxatives or cigarettes)
Young women see more images of
‘beautiful’ women in one day than their
mothers saw through their entire
adolescence.
How big an issue is it?
 National Body Image Advisory Group
Announced March 2009 by Federal Govt
To work in partnership with the media, health
sector, fashion industry and young people.
Early Intervention
The Butterfly Foundation says that it is well documented that early intervention in
young people with issues around poor body image, disordered eating or Eating
Disorders can ensure a far shorter recovery time than if intervention is later and
the behaviours have become more entrenched.
Influences
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Peers & friends
Boyfriends & girlfriends
Family
Community members (e.g. teachers)
Media
Fashion
Entertainment industry
Sports stars
Media and Fashion
Boyfriends and Girlfriends
Entertainment Industry
Media
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Popular culture tools
GQ and Kate Winslet
Women’s Weekly- Sarah Murdoch
News readers- No make-up
SOME small SHIFT IN MEDIA
 May 04, 2012 Vogue Magazine has decided to ban underage and
skinny models
 Just how thin is too thin and how young is too young to be featured on
the pages of fashion magazines? Vogue editors around the globe have
pledged to ban skinny and underage models in their glossies to shift
the industry's approach to body image.
False advertising
What can Parents do?
 Show an interest in you child’s friends and
activities.
 Talk – including about how media manipulate
images
 Praise them for their qualities, physical , mental,
emotional
 Encourage them to be individual, not to be like the
rest.
Being a Good Role Model
 Focus on what the body can do and the
parts you like
 Avoid self berating talk
 Show how you can change something
negative into a positive – self talk out loud
so children see how it is done.
 Avoid body comparisons
 Avoid commenting on other peoples shape
and size
Talk
 Talk about negative feelings
 Talk about what they see in the media
 According to the body shop there are 3 billion women who
don’t look like supermodels and eight who do.
 Let kids know who benefits from making us look imperfect.
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- gyms
- diet industry (books, programs, food providers)
- make-up and perfume products
- plastic surgeons
Teach
 Self talk
 Self-esteem supports
– Recognise what makes you/child feel good and use these when
feeling down eg music to boost your mood, walking the dog in the
park, reading a book, talking to a friend. (video games tend not to
boost mood rather further depress the mood)
 Individual strengths
– I am (loyal, good fun, helpful, care about the environment, have
good manners, try my best, honest, will try new things, brave……)
 Changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts –
Neg
to
Posi
I’m so stupid, why
am I studying
- The test may be hard but I will do my
best and if I fail, oh well, I did my best.
Teach children to give and
receive compliments
 Is like a gift and supports positive self
esteem.
 Comments about who they are and their
special inner qualities rather than looks
(comments on looks can often lead to misunderstandings,
embarrassment and self conscious feelings and even
compliments being refused.)
RIBBON TABLE
Compliments to ‘push up’
Giving compliments helps you feel good about yourself
too
bullying and teasing IS NOT OK
White
Red
Pink
Brown
Gentle
Calm
Honest
Energetic
Excitable
Determined
Sweet
Kind
Bubbly
Down to Earth
Helpful
Strong
Green
Purple
Blue
Yellow
Outdoorsy
Adventurous
Hard working
Fun
Inspiring
Loyal
Sensitive
Caring
Balanced
Sunny
Bright
Enthusiastic
Websites
www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au
www.realitycheck,net.au
www.healthinsite.gov.au
www.cyh.com
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
http://au.reachout.com.au
www.campaignforrealbeauty.com.au