Call for Evidence

The Committee invites written submissions addressing any, or all, of the following points: 

• What is the relationship between people’s perception of their body image and their physical and mental health?
• How can the Department of Health and Social Care and its arms’ length bodies work collaboratively across Government to tackle the health impacts of a negative perception of body image?
• To what extent does people’s perception of their body image, and stigma around particular body images, hinder them from accessing NHS services and what could be done to address this?
  • What training is needed about body image for frontline public health staff?
• How can the Government strike the right balance between tackling obesity in order to help prevent serious diseases, and reducing weight-based stigma that leads to mental and physical health problems?
  • How best can public health campaigns tackle negative perceptions of body image?
• To what extent are people who have a negative body image drawn to cosmetic procedures, and how do cosmetic procedures affect their body image?
• Is there sufficient support and advice for people who are considering cosmetic procedures?
• What form should a regulatory regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures take in order to improve patient safety?

Evidence should be submitted here by 22 January 2022.  Written evidence should be no more than 3,000 words.  Guidance on submitting written evidence is available here.