YWCA Australia was represented on the 12-person National Body Image Advisory group, which included experts in the areas of body image, youth engagement, media, fashion and advertising.

On 28 October 2009, the Advisory Group presented the Australian Government with its report, the Proposed National Strategy on Body Image.

The Chair's Foreword to the report says:

Whether it’s girls comparing themselves with the unrealistic images they see in the media and thinking they’re not tall or skinny enough or boys feeling they need to bulk up or slim down. All too often this translates to feelings of inadequacy and, in some cases, mental illness.

How did we as a society let young people get the message that so much of their self-worth is tied to their physical appearance? We have a duty to support young people and to encourage them to achieve their full potential.

The report encourages advertisers, the media and the fashion industry to promote more positive body image messages.

The report includes a Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image which recommends using healthy weight models, realistic and natural images of people and disclosure when images of people have been digitally manipulated.

The report also recommends building resilience in young people through a focus on peer interactions, parenting, and the role of schools and community groups.

» See a copy of the Proposed National Strategy on Body Image