Much has already been said about the misrepresentation of what constitutes an ‘acceptable’ body shape in the media, but more needs to be done to bring out into the open the diversity of body shapes that exist and to raise awareness of how our buttoned-up attitude to the human body is causing us to lead potentially unhealthy lives.
Society battles with the contradictory problem of the ‘perfect’ body that is represented in fashion and popular culture – against the contrasting issue with rising obesity – so by encouraging people of all ages, shapes and sizes to take part in the Great British Skinny Dip we will be highlighting that there is no such thing as a perfect body and taking away the fear people feel about exposing their body – whatever its shape and size.
We want people to develop a healthy attitude towards their bodies by realising that a healthy body doesn’t mean looking like an athlete or a catwalk model. It’s all about learning to love your body whatever it looks like, whilst also taking care of it in a responsible way, to make sure it doesn’t cause you health problems.