BOOK LAUNCHED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF BODY IMAGE ISSUES

August 17, 2020 | WNBL news

Basketball Australia is proud to announce its support of an important initiative by the Pretty Foundation, a leading non for profit organisation focused on the prevention of negative body image issues on two to six-year-old girls.

The Pretty Foundation has launched a children’s story book called Charlie’s Tales: The Spirits and the Heart Flower which aims to help fight negative body image issues in young females, as research shows that over a third of four-year-old girls are dissatisfied with their bodies.

Charlie’s Tales: The Spirits and the Heart Flower is supported by Chemist Warehouse, the naming rights partner for the WNBL and Australian Opals, and is available for purchase at selected Chemist Warehouse stores or from prettyfoundation.org from August 21.

Lauren Jackson AO OLY, Basketball Australia’s Head of Women in Basketball has written the foreword for the story book, where she referenced her own journey when it comes to overcoming body image issues.

“I was teased at school in my younger years for being tall and gawky and it wasn’t until I grew older I saw these differences as a strength and this confidence helped hone my drive to compete in the WNBL, the WNBA and the Olympics,” said Jackson in this book.

“I hope to lay good body image foundations with my own children with tools such as Charlie’s Tales to better aid their development. I hope to see them, and their peers, embrace their bodies, celebrate their differences and have the confidence to get involved in a sport and play with self belief and passion.”

The book, which follows the story of a young girl named Charlie, and her journey on a magical adventure where she and her friends employ the special talents and aims to encourage the coming generation to appreciate their body, embrace their strengths, and all that makes them unique.

Pretty Foundation Founder and CEO, Merissa Forsyth explains that the book aims to educate young girls that all their bodies are unique, and we shouldn’t compare ourselves.

“This new book encourages young girls to embrace the individual talents and abilities of their bodies. We aim to inspire young girls to step into their potential and enter the next phase of their childhood with a more positive relationship with body image,” says Forsyth.

“It is important to promote and celebrate body diversity in the preschool years as children as young as three can start to develop strong stereotypes about weight and body size.

“Celebrating body diversity and appreciating that all bodies are different is likely to promote greater body acceptance of one’s own body and that of their peers.”

Charlie’s Tales: The Sprites and the Heart Flower is available for purchase for $10.00 on Pretty Foundation’s website (prettyfoundation.org) and at selected Chemist Warehouse stores from 21 August through to 30 September 2020.