Last chance to nominate - who's helped to promote body confidence in children this year?

[KateMumsnet]

Hello

Some of you might remember that we've joined up with the Campaign for Body Confidence, to try to reduce the pressure on all of us to look perfect and to promote a more positive body image - particularly among children and young people. You can find out more about the campaign here.

Supportive parliamentarians have now formed a cross-party forum to look into body image anxiety in the UK, and they'll be reporting back later this year. In the meantime, the two groups are launching the Body Confidence Awards, celebrating the contribution of individuals, organisations and companies who've helped to promote body confidence over the last year.

We're very pleased to announce that we'll be there on the night, to present the Mumsnet Award for promoting body confidence in children.

Could you help us out by getting your thinking caps on, and letting us know who you think deserves the award? Feel free to think creatively - the winner could be a product or an organisation, but it could equally be an individual or even a TV or book character.

Please leave your suggestions on the thread - the one with the most mentions wins the gong!

[ptiger]

It has to be Gok Wan, his has been campaigning on this issue for a number of years, has been to number 10, come up with a body confidence lesson to be taught in school. Kids really relate to him.

[MissBetsyTrotwood]

Cerrie from Cbeebies.

[lesstalkmoreaction]

Gok for me, the teen programme was very good

[MmeLindor.]

Not a fan of Gok since his message seems to be that you are FABULOUS as you are, but here is a corset that will pull in all your wobbly bits, make you feel uncomfortable and restrict blood supply to your vital organs.

I thought we were past all that.

No idea what his teen program was like, but based on his love of spanx, I wouldn't say he promotes body confidence.

[PigeonStreet]

Another vote for Cerrie from CBeebies and PinkStinks

[babster]

David Walliams' children's books are very good for showing it's who you are, not how you look, that counts.

[almondfinger]

Pinkstinks for me please.

[LineRunner]

My DD's secondary school has an amazing (male) PE teacher. He encourages all the girls to take part in sports, is cool about them wearing tracksuits if that helps to get them onto the court/track, sorts out friendship disputes in the most excellent ways, and teaches them that they're shooting themselves in the foot commenting on each others' bodies.

[yousankmybattleship]

Gok for me too. Not Pink Stinks please!

[neepsntatties]

Not Gok. I hate the way he goes around grabbing women. At Christmas he was on Alan Carr and asked a woman in the audience if she was single and when she said yes he said something like 'Well I can do this then.' and grabbed her breasts. I remember thinking it would be considered sexual assault in any other context but in this one it was all supposed to be a big joke and the woman just had to laugh.

I like pink stinks. Great to have something out there challenging the pink Disney princess crap.

[peggyblackett]

Pinkstinks for me please.

[JugglingWithTangentialOranges]

Though he may do some good stuff I'd not be happy in voting for Gok either.
PinkStinks or Radical Cheerleaders sound more inspiring to me.
Think it would be good to choose a woman too really

[Emmiedarling]

Body Gossip. But specfically Natasha Devon for her campaigns in schools.

www.bodygossip.org/

[PfftTheMagicDraco]

David Walliams' books are lovely.

[nailak]

cerrie

[FoofFighter]

Has to be another vote for Gok Wan, and also for the Joy of Teen Sex crew, not sure of all of their names though so the programme as a whole please :)

Cerrie and Ellie have not as far as I know actually specifically done things to raise confidence like the above have.

[neepsntatties]

Stewie I was screaming at the TV at the time, I couldn't believe that he did it or that it was seen as not just ok but funny.

[pchick]

Adele - superb success over the last year, but not conforming to being a stick thin model.

[Grumpla]

Another vote for Pink Stinks!

And another minus vote for Gok I'm afraid. The whole premise of his show (like all other makeover shows, not just him) is that your happiness is totally rooted in your appearance. I think that completely undermines the concept of body confidence.

IMO we should be encouraging children to think about their bodies in terms of all the amazing things they can do, feeling powerful enough to reject narrow ideals of what girls / boys "should" look / dress like etc.

I also think its really important for children to know that they are in control of their own bodies and that other people don't have the right to invade their personal space etc - this not just cos of the fear of PEEEDOS but far more in the sense of laying the groundwork for healthy, respectful sexual relationships later on. I don't really see how quivering passively whilst a bloke chops your clothes off with scissors in front of a camera is really going to do that.