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You are here: Home / SELF LOVE & BODY IMAGE / #FreeFromDiets Phase 2: it’s all happening!

#FreeFromDiets Phase 2: it’s all happening!

October 11, 2019 by Molly Leave a Comment

It started earlier this year, when a leaflet for a local diet club landed on my doormat. I uploaded a bit of a ranty Instagram Story, talking about why it wasn’t OK to put leaflets for diet clubs through people’s doors. And my DMs lit up.

I heard from people in recovery for eating disorders, who’d relapsed after receiving such leaflets, from parents who’d been given leaflets at their kids’ school gates and from grown adults who were still suffering the disordered eating effects of being taken along to diet clubs as teenagers.

Diet promo around schools and kids’ clubs is real…

The more I heard from parents talking about the ways their kids had been exposed to harmful messaging around body image in the very places they should be most safe, the more I realised it was an issue. Image after image flooded my inbox, showing banners hanging on school gates, posters in school reception areas, leaflets at mother and toddler groups, posters in changing rooms for kids’ dance and gym clubs. This stuff was everywhere, hiding under our noses in plain sight.

And as I talked about it I realised I couldn’t just keep quiet and hope it would go away. It wasn’t a case of writing to one diet company or slimming service because they’re all at it. If one stops then another will step in. With the mum diet market being such a profitable one it stands to reason they’ll target the very places these mums hang out. And while the current rules state radio and TV ads for weight loss products and slimming services can’t be targetted at under 18s, when it comes to marketing around children on the ground, it’s a grey area.

Where #FreeFromDiets began…

But with the UK facing a body image crisis, with one in eight adults experiencing suicidal thoughts over the way they feel in their body, one in five girls not raising their hand in class for fear of being judged over their appearance, 34% of five year old girls restricting their food and kids as young as four being treated for eating disorders…. surely we need to really look at the impact these messages hanging on our kids’ school railings are having? These ads are telling kids that to “live happy”, “be well” and “be inspired” you need to look one way, change your body, lose weight – fit a narrow body ideal and image of health and beauty.

It is not OK.

So that’s where the #FreeFromDiets campaign was born. And this is where it grows.

#FreeFromDiets part 2…

Last week I announced that #FreeFromDiets is going on the road. I’ve recruited a campaign manager and a team of ambassadors, built a brand new website and created a whole campaign strategy around a series of inspiring, informative, empowering and FUN panel events.

Each panel event will be followed up by a round table discussion with people in positions of power to make a change. This is a community-led campaign. We’re creating a movement right here.

You can find out more about the movement and how you can get involved here.

We have doctors, health professionals, therapists, influencers, activists, educators and writers supporting the campaign. And it all hinges around a series of panel events we want YOU to come along to, to show policy makers there’s appetite for change and to help inform the round table discussions we have with those people the following day.

An amazing line-up of speakers…

Our first panel event, Body Happy Parents, takes place on November 21st, at 6.30pm, in a school in central London. Tickets cost just £15 and money from all ticket sales goes straight back into the campaign.

We’re going to get into it on the subject of body image, diet culture and how as parents we can reach body acceptance and help role-model positive body image in front of our kids. We’ll be talking about why diet promo around schools and children’s clubs is not the one. And we’ll be hosting a Q&A so you can get involved too.

The brilliant social media star, content creator and writer Tova Leigh is joining the campaign as our newest ambassador, as well as a speaker on our Body Happy Parents panel. Tova will be alongside Dr Tosin Sotubo, a GP and diversity advocate, social media influencer and mum Kerri Northcott, and ED specialist, Harley Street therapist, body image coach and international speaker Laura Phelan. The panel will be hosted by me (Molly Forbes). 

Find out more about the event here and get your ticket here.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. It’s a huge investment of time, energy and yet again I’m putting myself on the line. But if 2019’s taught me one thing it’s that you can’t let the fear of failure hold you back. The only thing worse than failure is not trying at all.

Are you in? Join us here.

Filed Under: SELF LOVE & BODY IMAGE Tagged With: #FreeFromDiets, body acceptance, body confidence, body image, body image and kids, body image and mums

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-si Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-simplified on social media. “Just eat less and move more!” etc are packaged up as empowering motivational quotes, but when we look into what health actually is, and the many things that impact it, we realise that this view isn’t empowering at all. 
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Any conversation about health that doesn’t acknowledge the fact of body diversity, social determinants of health and the impact of weight stigma and all forms of discrimination on health, is not a full conversation.
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When it comes to how this makes children feel about their bodies, the impact is huge. From appearance based bullying (both online and in the playground) to confusion over how best to look after their own health, we’re not equipping kids with the tools to feel good in their bodies or be accepting of other children in bodies that may not look the way we teach kids “healthy” looks. 
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Consider this as a “starter post”, an introduction to the “But what about health?” question if you’ve not come across a weight inclusive approach to health before. If it’s useful bookmark and come back to it. And maybe even share it if you think your friends and family might benefit from it too. 
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On the last slide you’ll find a short list of further reading. This is by no means an exhaustive list! Again, just a starting point. 
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There are professors, researchers, activists, educators, doctors, public health policy makers doing important work in this area (who have been leading the charge on this for decades, before social media was even a thing), but still the mainstream view on health always seems to come down to personal responsibility arguments and the “eat less, move more” approach. Just remember, it’s complicated. ❤️
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EDIT: On the last slide I recommend the book Burn Out - apologies for a typo to author name: it is written by Emily & AMELIA Nagoski 
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