I would like to make comment on the influence of the ‘media’. As somebody who has worked in the media/advertising/modeling industries for about a decade, I have seen the distortion of body image from both sides of the camera lens. In all my time working at advertising agencies, I can tell you – from first hand experience – that this ‘voluntary code’ of conduct will be about as useful as (my Grandmother would say) “tits on a bull”.

Until quantifiable, enforceable standards and are implemented and met, we will only continue to circle around the problem with more ‘feel good’ voluntary codes that do little to address the bigger issues.

Oh I hear you say “But it’s a positive start!”… Granted, it is. But this same debate about the (mis)representation of body image has been raging for years and we are well past the positive start days.

I’m now using my background to speak at schools to teens and pre-teens about media literacy and body image. Experience taught me that popular culture is dictated by demand. Unfortunate but true. I aspire to educate the kids about the messages they are being exposed to and teach them to make educated, media literate decisions for themselves.

Last week I was asked to attend a National Collaboration about body image dissatisfaction in Canberra. While it was a good idea, ‘in theory’, the problems of body image dissatisfaction amongst our youth cannot be solved with statistics and reference to dated theoretical models – as some participants attempted to do. The solutions are as complex as the problems themselves.

As well as this, I think there needs to be censorship in reporting about eating disorders. Suicide reports aren’t allowed to have details – method or anything which indicates to that and as far as I’m aware, method of self harm cannot be reported in conventional media either – so why are we allowing people to write in detail their eating disorder methods? and publish this where the greater public can access it? Besides this – why are we allowing promotion of diets which we KNOW don’t work (cos drinking nothing but powdered milkshakes would seemingly defy all logic and basic nutritional knowledge you’d think….)

However, I think that unless there are some incentives for sticking to this code of conduct, and unless it’s made a mandatory code of conduct, it’s really not worth the piece of paper it’s written on. It’s just MORE public servants pushing paper and looking like they’re trying to tackle the issues when really they’re doing sweet fruit all.

Just my 20 cents. I just like to see things really changing and having grown up in a public service household, I’m not unfamiliar with the government’s love of “policy” and lack of action.

Terrific, powerful message!!

Catch up soon,
Mel