STAYING POSITIVE

Words hurt. And hurtful words can stick like glue and last a lifetime, say Kate Fox and Gemma Nester, who have interviewed and surveyed 400 Tasmanian women about their body image, since December.

Many of the women in their 60s and 70s still remember a negative comment about their body from when they were five.

The pair have used their research to set up a Tasmanian education program and movement called Positive Bod Squad targeted at Grade 1 to Grade 3 girls — to help them learn to love their body.

Fox says research sadly shows negative self talk in girls starts as young as seven years old.

“Many have told us a family joke or a passing negative body comment had negatively impacted them even as an adult,” she says. “Our whole thing is that you don’t make a comment if the impact is negative.”

Fox — who has worked for many different women’s magazines — admits they are fighting an up-hill battle especially with social media which portrays unrealistic body images.

“Girls are getting on social media earlier than ever before,” she says. “When they are looking at that perfect image they don’t realise 900 photos were taken to get that one picture and that there was a team of ten lighting guys and an entire make-up and hair department involved.”

Their aim is to have their program approved by physiologists and doctors as well as Relationships Australia and then they will be able to apply for the necessary funding to make it available in primary schools across the state.