The UK government’s new approach towards body image and eating disorders is considered to be unhealthy and dangerous.
A new report published by the Women and Equalities Committee believes we should get rid of the Body Mass Index (BMI) system immediately. The report also promotes more diverse advertising and the banning of altered images to protect people from developing eating disorders and anxieties, which is especially important after a global lockdown. BMI is solely used to prevent health issues when an individual’s weight score is higher or lower than average, but the report states this scoring system causes body image issues and increases social stigma.
The committee is pushing for a new adaptation of the system called ’Health at Every Size'. The purpose would be to provide healthy lifestyles for everyone, without having to lose or gain weight.
The Government's Obesity Strategy is thought to be ’dangerous’, specifically towards people it is supposed to help. The National Child Measurement Programme, designed to measure primary school children’s weight is just as, if not more dangerous, and has an enormous potential to cause harm to children. The committee asked the government to reconsider their standpoints towards these programmes and systems.
The committee’s conclusion urged the government to spend the same amount of money on helping people with eating disorders and mental health problems. According to the report, out of the £15bn budget, only 96p is spent on one person dealing with eating disorders, while £9 on one person dealing with mental health problems.
If you are interested in the comments of the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, or other recommendations to avoid body image issues, follow the link below our summary.
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