Today, the Models Direct team came across a book called ‘Body Image In The Primary School’ by Nicky Hutchinson and Chris Calland. With child modelling being a big part of the agency, it got us thinking – should children be taught about body image from a young age?

Last year, Dr Helen Wright, President of the Girl’s School Association, said that children from as young as four should be given lessons on body image to help control the dangerous impact that things such as airbrushing, overly skinny models and extreme post production techniques cause.

Also believing that girls should be aware of these things from a young age, Hutchinson and Calland’s book provides material for teachers to confront body image issues in the classroom.

“Children face exposure to the media on a far greater scale than ever before. They watch up to 40,000 adverts every year. Although there are initiatives to address body image with adolescents, we were aware that there was very little available to support younger children. Primary schools have a critical role in helping them develop a healthy body image through positive intervention,” said Hutchinson.

Calland added: “When we watch television or look at magazines with our children we should encourage them to question the images they see. We should reassure our children about their appearance and talk positively about them. It’s important not to make negative comments about their weight or over-emphasise the importance of looks. We shouldn’t make negative comments about other people’s physical appearance or complain about ‘fat’ or ‘ugly’ parts of our body in their hearing.”

The team at Models Direct, one of the UK’s most diverse and inclusive modelling agencies, tends to agree. We think that children should be taught to identify airbrushing and fakery, and shown that beauty is more diverse than the stereotypical long-legged skinny model we’re all so used to seeing. Then maybe children can grow up understanding that there is a plurality to what’s considered beautiful, and not just one unattainable so-called ‘ideal’.

All Walks co-founder Caryn Franklin also shares a similar view: “We need conscious teachers who can help young girls and boys understand the pressures they are experiencing around body image, if done in the right way I see nothing wrong with discussing this subject amongst young children, as it affects them too.

“Students I currently lecture, from Leeds to Plymouth, all express unease about the current body ideals, having internalised the messaging around bodies over the years. Tackling this cultural pressure earlier than university can only be a good thing.”

Models Direct wants to hear from all our child models’ mums and dads – do you believe that young children should stick to learning their ABCs and enjoy their innocence while they can, or is it a good idea to start teaching body image lessons early on so that kids can grow up with a better understanding of media imagery that will hopefully lead to self-assurance and body confidence?