Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 11
Second Report - The impact of body image on mental and physical health
Published 2 Aug 2022
Paragraph 77
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee The impact of body image on mental and physical health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We urge Health Education England, the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council to collaborate with third sector organisations that are currently educating people about, and promoting awareness of, body image issues, and after a period of assessment, integrate the most effective existing training and resources into all training programmes within the medical, nursing and midwifery fields within the next two years. We echo the Mental Health Foundation’s recommendation for any further training for professionals interacting with parents - that is, GPs, health visitors, dietitians and other frontline practitioners - to include information about how parents and carers can, from a very early age, positively influence their children’s feelings about their bodies through the behaviours and attitudes they express.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Second Report - The impact of body image on mental and physical health (HC 114), paragraph 77, 2 August 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 February 2023 (deadline 2 October 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "strongly agrees" there is a need for cross-government work on body image, but says there is not an immediate need for a standalone strategy and that it will not meet the committee's timeline for licensing non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
- On eating disorders, it expects them to be considered within the major conditions strategy (interim report due in the summer), so "does not intend to publish a separate national eating disorder strategy". It accepts the research part of the recommendation.
- It agrees that diagnosis and treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a priority, but says this is "best achieved through the current training, referral routes and curriculum".
- On non-surgical cosmetic procedures, it is taking forward a licensing scheme but says it "will not be able to meet the timeline recommended by the committee". DHSC will agree the procedures in scope and communicate a plan for delivery by July 2023.
- On screen time, it says much more research is needed before national guidance. DHSC will work with DCMS and DfE on gathering evidence "before deciding whether to progress with a nationwide public health campaign", which would be contingent on future funding settlements.