TOPRIGHT:Girls Together project members Jess, Melissa, Emily, Jayne and Savannah have organised a series of workshops to promote healthy body image among teenage girls.
FED-UP with an overload of waif-like models and fad diets, a group of foothills teenagers have decided to deliver their peers a welcome reality check.
The Girls Together project is the brainchild of eight local girls – aged between 12 and 16 – who made a successful funding application to the State Government to develop a program to promote healthy body image.
With $4500 worth of government funds in their pockets, the girls – in conjunction with Coonara Community House in Upper Ferntree Gully – have launched the program in time for a series of school holiday workshops.
The girls say the idea of the program is to break down unattainable ideas of physical perfection by providing realistic information about nutrition and body types.
“It’s about getting people to realise that everybody is different,” said Jess Hardy.
“We just thought it would be a really good thing to do, because it’d be fun and we’d be able to help some people in the process,” Emily Fitzgerald added.
The program will include fashion shows with tips on dressing for your body type and how to apply makeup, hair design workshops, fitness days and healthy cooking days.
In addition to organising the events, the girls have created a promotional website, which includes a discussion forum and online survey.
The first event will be a 90-minute positive body workshop held at Coonara Community House on Monday, 1 October from 1pm.
The girls have already stirred up a lot of interest in the project at their respective schools and are expecting a healthy turnout over the school holidays.
More information about the Girls Together project can be found at http://girlstogether.wikispaces.com or by calling Coonara Community House on 9758 7081.
