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Breaking down the myths about body image

15/Nov/2010

By Lauren Peden, Guardian Express

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Out front Clare Waldron, manager of YMCA Big Brothers Big Sisters program, with potential mentor Gemma Richman Out front Clare Waldron, manager of YMCA Big Brothers Big Sisters program, with potential mentor Gemma Richman

PROMOTING the importance of healthy body image to teenage girls is the aim of a new mentoring program to be held at YMCA Perth.

The Leederville-based organisation is hoping to follow the Go Girls! pilot program with a permanent one that would be implemented around Perth.

The State Government Office for Youth has contributed $21,000 funding to the project.

YMCA Big Brothers Big Sisters program manager Clare Waldron  said Go Girls! would instil positive body image and the importance of exercise and healthy eating in participants.

“This eight-week program will be introduced in the 2011 school year and will build the leadership and life skills of all the program’s participants, including both the students and the mentors,” she said.

“There are a lot of issues around adolescence and obesity, but research has also found that at that critical age, at the beginning of high school, is typically when girls start disengaging from sport, and fashion and body image take over.”

Miss Waldron said the program was designed to break down myths and barriers about body image through techniques such as showing real-life examples how the computer program Photoshop can manipulate images.

“By giving real examples the girls can see why body images in the media are not achievable,” she said.

Female mentors are needed for the program.

For more information contact program manager Clare Waldron on 92270479 or 0407005236 or via email at bbbs@ymca.org.au or ymcaperth.org.au.


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