From our College Counsellors

Kindness over comparison: Empowering our students through body image education

Body image plays a powerful role in the emotional wellbeing of adolescence. During the teenage years, young people are forming their sense of identity, and how they feel about their bodies can deeply impact their confidence, relationships, and mental health. With constant exposure to social media, unrealistic beauty standards, and comparison culture, this all contributes to the ongoing challenge of body dissatisfaction among young people.

Recent studies reveal that 7 in 10 girls are unhappy with how they look, and over 50% of 12–13 year old girls have tried to manage their weight in unhealthy ways. These statistics are a call to action for families, schools, and communities to help young people develop a healthier, more compassionate relationship with their bodies.

This issue was recently explored on the television series Parental Guidance, which highlighted how early these concerns can emerge and the influence that parenting, media, and peer environments can have. The show sparked important national conversations around body image, self-worth, and the need for proactive education.

At Mt Alvernia, we are deeply committed to supporting the social and emotional development of our students, and we recognise the importance of addressing body image in a meaningful and age-appropriate way. That’s why we’re excited to announce that this Term, we’ll be piloting the newly refreshed BodyKind Schools Program from the Butterfly Foundation with our Year 8 cohort.

The BodyKind program encourages kindness – towards oneself and others – and helps young people challenge harmful appearance ideals, build media literacy, and create a more body-positive school culture. This initiative also coincides with BodyKind Month this August, a national campaign focused on promoting kindness, respect, and inclusivity in the way we speak about and treat our bodies.

We encourage all families to join us by considering how we can all be body positive role models for the young people in our lives. 

If you’re concerned about your daughter’s well-being, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the MyMtA Educational Wellbeing Tile or you can email us directly:  counsellor@mta.qld.edu.au. 

There are also many great parent resources available from Butterfly Foundation. 

Warm regards,

Kimberley & Amber 

Reference: Butterfly Foundation. (2024). The reality of eating disorders in Australia: Paying the price. https://butterfly.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/The-reality-of-eating-disorders-in-Australia-2024.pdf

Hyperlink 1: BodyKind Online Education - Butterfly Foundation

Hyperlink 2: Support for Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues | Butterfly Foundation