Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 26 Mar 2020 Closed: 4 Nov 2021 Parliament page
Awareness of the impact of advertising and media consumption on people’s body image has increased in recent years. Negative body image is widely perceived as solely a young women’s problem. But more recently, research has shown that this is a wider issue: Recent studies report that over a third of … Read more
17 Recommendations
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
7 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
23 Jun
2021
Report published
22 Jun
2021
Correspondence
17 May
2021
Correspondence
11 May
2021
Correspondence
9 Apr
2021
Report published
27 Jan
2021
Oral evidence
16 Dec
2020
Oral evidence
2 Dec
2020
Oral evidence
3 Nov
2020
Correspondence
3 Nov
2020
Correspondence
2 Nov
2020
Correspondence
22 Oct
2020
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
27 Jan 2021
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Caroline Dinenage MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Mark Griffin · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries MP · Department for Health and Social Care Zoe Seager · Department of Health and Social Care
16 Dec 2020
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Alexandra Evans · TikTok Henry Turnball · Snap Inc Richard Earley · Facebook Inc
2 Dec 2020
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Caroline O'Neill · L’Oréal Paris (UK) Chris Macleod · Transport for London Kate Dale · Sport England Kelly Byrne · Nasty Gal, boohoo group Malcolm Phillips · Advertising Standards Authority Sophie Van Ettinger · Dove
21 Oct 2020
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Cassianne Anonymous · Lived Experience Catherine Deakin · Changing Faces Danny Bowman · Lived Experience Dr Antonis Kousoulis · Mental Health Foundation Dr Marc Bush · YoungMinds Kate Roberts · Lived Experience Tatyana Anonymous · Lived Experience Zoe Palmer · Girlguiding UK
23 Sep 2020
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Dr Amy Slater · Centre for Appearance Research Dr Francesca Solmi · University College London Professor Clare Chambers · Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body… HC 274 9 Apr 2021 17 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
17 results
1 Recommendation Not Addressed
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
People face appearance-based discrimination on a daily basis, at work, in schools and in public...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states that the EHRC has responded directly to the Committee, but does not commit to promoting the EHRC's guidance or publishing its own research as requested.
Government Equalities Office
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2 Recommendation Not Addressed
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Lockdown has undoubtedly worsened existing body image anxieties and inspired new insecurities for thousands of...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government refers the Committee to a direct response from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), rather than providing its own review of rising eating disorder rates or outlining specific policy interventions.
Government Equalities Office
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3 Recommendation Acknowledged
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Many organisations and academics have found that prevention and early intervention are likely to reduce...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states that improving eating disorder services is a key priority and that the Department has funded various studies through the National Institute for Health Research. However, it does not commit to rapidly developing early intervention strategies or increasing ringfenced funding for research to the recommended amount.
Government Equalities Office
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4 Recommendation Not Addressed
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We are hugely saddened to hear of the number of people who have faced appearance...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government response focuses on improving eating disorder services and general funding for related studies, but does not commit to commissioning specific research on weight-based discrimination in the NHS or addressing the use of BMI.
Government Equalities Office
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5 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
The current Obesity Strategy is at best ineffective and at worst perpetuating unhealthy behaviours.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges concerns about calorie labelling and eating disorders, but will not scrap the policy. Instead, they have exempted schools and will allow businesses to provide calorie-free menus upon customer request, committing to a review within 5 years.
Government Equalities Office
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We are disappointed to learn that there have been no reviews of the effectiveness of...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights its existing, peer-reviewed evaluation strategy for the childhood obesity programme and states this approach will be reviewed and refreshed to cover adult obesity, but does not commit to urgently commissioning a new independent review of the strategy within 3 months.
Government Equalities Office
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7 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Encouraging positive body image during childhood and adolescence must be a priority.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states the RSHE curriculum, which includes content on body image, is compulsory and will be inspected by Ofsted. They commit to undertaking quantitative and qualitative research to understand perceptions and delivery of RSHE, which will inform its impact on pupil wellbeing, but do not explicitly commit to exploring additional policy initiatives for a whole-school approach beyond the existing curriculum's support.
Government Equalities Office
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8 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Weighing children in primary schools under the National Child Measurement Programme is likely to cause...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states that Public Health England already rigorously reviews the National Child Measurement Programme annually, citing existing research showing no negative impact on body image. PHE will, however, ask the NCMP Board to consider the report's concerns and continue to explore the programme's impact on children and parents.
Government Equalities Office
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9 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
The Committee is disappointed about the lack of diversity in adverts both on and offline.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) already has work streams considering diversity in advertising and states it will continue to engage closely with the ASA to support this work, including on body image and racial and ethnic stereotyping.
Government Equalities Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We commend the Government for launching a consultation on online advertising in the Spring and...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to continuing close work with the ASA, remaining in touch during its consultation on body image, and considering additional measures to address body image concerns as part of the forthcoming Online Advertising Programme.
Government Equalities Office
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11 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Whilst the Committee was pleased to see that TfL has taken steps to protect Londoners...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to engaging with the advertising industry and TfL through its Online Advertising Programme to assess the impact of advertising on body image, and will provide an update to the Committee within 6 months.
Government Equalities Office
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12 Recommendation Rejected
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We were pleased to hear from companies who are committed to advertising their products by...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government explicitly rejects legislating to restrict or ban altered images in advertising, citing insufficient evidence and existing ASA rules. They will, however, consider future action after reviewing evidence from the ASA's consultation and as part of the Online Advertising Programme.
Government Equalities Office
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13 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
The Committee was pleased to see some progress on the Government’s Online Harms legislation during...
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’ … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms the Online Safety Bill has been published in draft and will be a legislative priority. It states that the Bill will require platforms to address harmful content related to body image that risks significant adverse physical or psychological impact, protecting both children and adults on high-risk services.
Government Equalities Office
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14 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Despite the number of controls in place on social media platforms, users continuously experience content...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states it will continue working with the ASA on online advertising rules through the Online Advertising Programme and confirms that Ofcom, under the Online Safety Bill, will have robust enforcement powers, including significant fines, for social media companies failing to enforce guidelines on user-generated content.
Government Equalities Office
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15 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We were pleased to hear that the Government recognises the impact social media can have...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states the DHSC, through the NIHR, has funded a systematic review on social media and body image, and is working with DCMS on online harms legislation and the Online Advertising Programme to address related issues.
Government Equalities Office
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16 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
We welcome Ofcom’s role in regulating online harms and Parliament’s role in identifying harms.
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to working with stakeholders and Ofcom to define harmful content within online harms legislation to include body image pressures, and states Ofcom will establish user advocacy mechanisms to ensure the regulatory system addresses the needs of high-risk groups.
Government Equalities Office
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17 Recommendation Accepted
Sixth Report: Changing the perfect…
Young people are particularly at risk of developing poor body image, and access to social...
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 … Read more
Government Response
The government states the Online Safety Bill will require online services to implement age verification or assurance processes to protect young people from harmful content, with Ofcom having enforcement powers, and highlights ongoing work with industry to develop effective solutions.
Government Equalities Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 17 of 17 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 1
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 1
Total 17 recs
Correspondence 7 letters
22 Jun 2021 Correspondence from the Director of Media Smart UK to the Chair relating to their educational resource on body image and mental well-being
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17 May 2021 Correspondence from the Equality and Human Rights Commission to the Chair relating to the Committee’s inquiry into ‘Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image.’
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11 May 2021 Correspondence from the Steering Group of the Obesity Health Alliance to the Chair relating to the Committee’s inquiry into ‘Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image’
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3 Nov 2020 Correspondence from Yound Minds to the Chair regarding body image inquiry
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3 Nov 2020 Correspondence from the Mental Health Foundation to the Chair regaridng body image inquiry
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2 Nov 2020 Correspondence from Changing Faces to the Chair regarding body image inquiry
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22 Oct 2020 Correspondence from Girlguiding to the Chair regarding body image inquiry
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