Melbourne’s leading Image and Educational Consultant and Speaker, Loveena Guilford, has a simple mission: to provide local school-aged children with the tools to look in the mirror and like what they see.
Through her work as a personal stylist, Loveena has witnessed first hand the effects of poor body image on her beautiful, intelligent and successful clients. Through the statewide rollout of the Body Gossip Project from May 2013, she hopes to educate young men and women while their self image is still forming, to help them gain the confidence and self esteem to carry them successfully through their teenage years into adulthood. Sandi Sieger spoke with her about the Body Gossip Project.
The Body Gossip Project sounds amazing. What inspired you to create it?
As a high school teacher, I have seen how much pressure there is for the next generation to look perfect. Many of them put themselves through harsh diets, stopped eating or exercised way too much to try and look a certain way. Through my styling business, I have also witnessed the effects of poor body image on my beautiful, intelligent adult clients. So, I thought ‘why not create program that caters for how the next generation see themselves’. The aim is for the Project to work as a preventative measure, stopping negative thoughts and behaviours before they become too firmly entrenched.
Can you tell us what it’s about and how it works?
It’s a two period workshop at schools created with the national curriculum and student learning styles in mind. It’s fun, interactive and educational.
The workshops give students the tools they need to start tackling negative body image and get them thinking about loving their body just the way it is.
You’ve got a background in secondary teaching, and work in image consulting – where did the passion for working with youth come from?
From the age of 16, I volunteered at a local youth group. Since then, I’ve been passionate about working with youth. Through the various girls and boys that I met and worked with, I realised that body image was such a big issue. I knew back then that I wanted to change that one day.
Body image and low self-esteem are such huge issues in Australia, amongst children and teenagers, but also adults. Do you have any tips or advice you can pass on to assist those grappling with these issues every day?
Here are some body image boosters for every day;
- Don’t compare yourself with anyone else – you are unique and beautiful just the way you are. Remember by comparing you will only make yourself feel worse. People that you see in magazines etc have been retouched A LOT and made to look a certain way.
- Look after your body well – exercise, eat well and never go on dangerous diets – you only get one body.
- Be kind to your friends and others – it’s easy grab your girlfriends and talk trash about your bodies, compare them with celebrities, point out the stuff that you hate. Try focusing on positive talk instead of negative.
Where do you hope the Body Gossip Project will take you? Would you like to see a rollout in other states?
I hope to see the Body Gossip Project in all schools in Victoria. I believe these body image workshops are as important as subjects like English or Maths. A rollout in other states would be amazing as the Body Gossip Project’s mission is simple – ‘to provide the next generation with the knowledge and tools to enable them to look in the mirror and find their own standard of beauty’ – I believe every teenager in Australia needs to hear about this.
