Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image
Women and Equalities Committee
HC 274
Published 9 April 2021
Recommendations
1
People face appearance-based discrimination on a daily basis, at work, in schools and in public...
Recommendation
People face appearance-based discrimination on a daily basis, at work, in schools and in public spaces. Whilst we were disappointed not to hear from the Government Equalities Office on their assessment of appearance-based discrimination, we are pleased that the Government …
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Government Equalities Office
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2
Para 45
Lockdown has undoubtedly worsened existing body image anxieties and inspired new insecurities for thousands of...
Recommendation
Lockdown has undoubtedly worsened existing body image anxieties and inspired new insecurities for thousands of people across the country. In particular, we are alarmed by the rapidly rising rates in eating disorders and other mental health conditions. The impact of …
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Government Equalities Office
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3
Para 46
Many organisations and academics have found that prevention and early intervention are likely to reduce...
Recommendation
Many organisations and academics have found that prevention and early intervention are likely to reduce eating disorder rates as well as hospitalisations and deaths. It is important that the alarming rise in eating disorder rates is addressed as the country …
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Government Equalities Office
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4
Para 47
We are hugely saddened to hear of the number of people who have faced appearance...
Recommendation
We are hugely saddened to hear of the number of people who have faced appearance and weight-based discrimination when accessing NHS services. There is no way to quantify the damage this has done to individuals’ mental and physical health. We …
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Government Equalities Office
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5
Para 48
The current Obesity Strategy is at best ineffective and at worst perpetuating unhealthy behaviours.
Recommendation
The current Obesity Strategy is at best ineffective and at worst perpetuating unhealthy behaviours. It is likely to be dangerous for those with negative body image, including those at risk of developing eating disorders. In the short term, we have …
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Government Equalities Office
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6
We are disappointed to learn that there have been no reviews of the effectiveness of...
Recommendation
We are disappointed to learn that there have been no reviews of the effectiveness of the current or previous obesity strategies, and we cannot support much-criticised and unevaluated weight-loss policies. The Government must only use evidence- based policies in its …
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Government Equalities Office
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7
Para 58
Encouraging positive body image during childhood and adolescence must be a priority.
Recommendation
Encouraging positive body image during childhood and adolescence must be a priority. We commend the Government for introducing body image into the RSHE curriculum last year and hope this creates an opportunity for schools to address the concerns young people …
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Government Equalities Office
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8
Weighing children in primary schools under the National Child Measurement Programme is likely to cause...
Recommendation
Weighing children in primary schools under the National Child Measurement Programme is likely to cause harm to children’s mental health and could hinder the development of a positive body image. This is particularly damaging for Black children who are more …
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Government Equalities Office
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9
Para 88
The Committee is disappointed about the lack of diversity in adverts both on and offline.
Recommendation
The Committee is disappointed about the lack of diversity in adverts both on and offline. We urgently want to see more companies advertising with real images of people from a diverse range of ethnicities, abilities, sexualities, genders, body shapes and …
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Government Equalities Office
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10
Para 89
We commend the Government for launching a consultation on online advertising in the Spring and...
Recommendation
We commend the Government for launching a consultation on online advertising in the Spring and are encouraged that the ASA will be consulting on body image as well as racial stereotyping in 2021. We recommend that the Government works closely …
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Government Equalities Office
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11
Para 90
Whilst the Committee was pleased to see that TfL has taken steps to protect Londoners...
Recommendation
Whilst the Committee was pleased to see that TfL has taken steps to protect Londoners from advertisements that could promote body dissatisfaction and bolster diverse advertising on their network, we were disappointed it had not been fully evaluated to properly …
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Government Equalities Office
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12
We were pleased to hear from companies who are committed to advertising their products by...
Recommendation
We were pleased to hear from companies who are committed to advertising their products by using real, honest images. However, a significant number of advertisers continue to rely heavily on image editing. It is clear that the constant bombardment of …
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Government Equalities Office
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13
Para 113
The Committee was pleased to see some progress on the Government’s Online Harms legislation during...
Recommendation
The Committee was pleased to see some progress on the Government’s Online Harms legislation during our inquiry. We are of the view that any online content and activity that contributes to the proliferation of negative body image is a ‘harm’ …
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Government Equalities Office
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14
Para 114
Despite the number of controls in place on social media platforms, users continuously experience content...
Recommendation
Despite the number of controls in place on social media platforms, users continuously experience content that, by the platforms’ own admission, shouldn’t be accessible. We 44 Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image recommend that the Government should …
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Government Equalities Office
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15
Para 115
We were pleased to hear that the Government recognises the impact social media can have...
Recommendation
We were pleased to hear that the Government recognises the impact social media can have on body image and that it is encouraging social media companies to take more responsibility for the content on their platforms. We are also pleased …
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Government Equalities Office
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16
Para 116
We welcome Ofcom’s role in regulating online harms and Parliament’s role in identifying harms.
Recommendation
We welcome Ofcom’s role in regulating online harms and Parliament’s role in identifying harms. We recommend that the Government work closely with the UKRI and Ofcom to ensure that online harms legislation sufficiently encompasses protections from harms caused by body …
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Government Equalities Office
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17
Young people are particularly at risk of developing poor body image, and access to social...
Recommendation
Young people are particularly at risk of developing poor body image, and access to social media and other online content is linked with negative feelings about appearance. We recommend that the Government ensures that any age verification or assurance processes …
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Government Equalities Office
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