BODY LOVE PROJECT

Our biggest ever campaign to change the language of body confidence for UK women and girls

Ever called yourself ugly after catching sight of your image in a mirror? Or branded yourself weak in the middle of a tough workout session? It’s not just you – millions of British women face a daily battle with their inner critic, which results in low self-esteem and deflated confidence. Not only does it mean women like you are missing out on living their lives to the full, but it’s also creating a damaging legacy for our children, with girls as young as 10 reporting that they’ve thought about dieting, and cases of boys being admitted to hospital with eating disorders having doubled since 2010. Many young adults believe that their future hinges not on their ability, talent or determination, but the way they look.

Sadly, the way we talk to and about ourselves is fundamental to self-esteem, and it needs a makeover. ‘All words are associated with feelings,’ says Kristen Lindquist, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina. Take a word pertaining to the self (stupid, fat, ugly; as well as smart, thin, pretty) and your brain does a deep dive into your neurological data, replaying all the emotions and sensations that have occurred when processing that word in the past. It’s why negative self-talk is the focus of the Project Body Love campaign, which aims to empower and encourage women to overhaul their vocabulary for the sake of their self-esteem. We want to change the way women think, feel and talk about their bodies – and spread the love now, and for future generations.

37% OF BRITISH WOMEN CAN’T RECALL THE LAST TIME THEY FELT LOVE FOR THEIR BODY WH READERS SAY SELFCRITICISM HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THEIR BODY IMAGE

54% OF WOMEN AVOID EXERCISE WHEN THEIR BODY CONFIDENCE IS LOW