Welcome!
Hi, I’m Emma!
I’m a speaker, writer, eating disorder recoverer, mum of two, founder of BCC, sister, auntie, wife and friend. More than anything I want your kids to grow up without body image issues. Because seriously, body image issues suck.
Here’s what I know for sure….
…the whole kids and body image thing is a mind poke! The pressure for them to eat right and be ‘healthy’ is huge and everyone has an opinion, and everyone feels judged.
…keeping them ‘healthy’ without causing body image issues is a question so many parents struggle with.
…social media, the whole sugar thing, bullying – can also be lumped into the ‘WTF do I do here’ basket.
…you’re not alone if you worry about passing your own issues onto your kids when all you want is to protect them from hating themselves and obsessing about food.
…I get it. And I’m here to help you navigate this largely unchartered territory.
Here’s the stuff parents really need to know:
…what to say when our kid tells us they hate their fat legs (regardless of what size they are).
…how to keep their body image safe on social media.
…how to stop the dinner table deteriorating into a battle of ‘just one more bite and then you can have dessert”.
…how to help our child be okay with their body when they’ve been bullied or shamed or they don’t meet a socially acceptable beauty standard.
Why I started Body Confidence Consultants
After writing two books about recovering from bulimia I became the go-to gal for friends who wanted to know what to say when the inevitable happened: kids incessantly sneaking sugary foods. Dinner table fights. I hate my this or thats. Kids putting on weight and getting teased.
My friends knew body image was important – but had no idea what to do about it. They were so relieved and excited by the information (here’s the science if that’s your bag) and practical ideas I shared with them, they started telling others.
That led to giving talks to small groups, which led to giving talks in schools. Each talk I gave resulted in more talks being organised. The fine folks that attended these talks kept asking for a book to practice the ideas the learned.
And so Body Confidence Consultants became my full-time work. I can’t wait to share everything I know with you too!
Body confidence consultants will help you build great body confidence in your kids
But why me, in particular?
I grew up with an eating disorder even though my family did everything ‘right’. We were fed healthy food and encouraged to exercise. We ate dinner together every night. My parents limited sugar, told us we were gorgeous and explained the dangers of being fat. I was a thinnish, tallish child that didn’t look sick. I kind of had a textbook upbringing to grow into a body confident young woman. But I didn’t. I grew into an eating disorder that took me to a very dark place.
When I had my own kids I’d done a massive amount of healing. And yet. I found myself slipping into the same ‘health and wellbeing’ grooves my parents did. I strategized about veggies. Limited sugar. I told them they were gorgeous. Didn’t let them have dessert until they’d finished their greens.
But these things felt fraught. Food battles dominated our meals. I was terrified they’d have the same body issues I had.
The moment came when I caught my daughter stealing sweets from the cupboard. The look of guilt and fear and shame on her face sent ice down my veins. In her face was everything I felt about my body.
In that moment I decided this is where it stops. I’m not going to watch my daughter go down that same road I did. I’m going to so something different.
Problem was – I had no idea what to do – I was already doing all the things!!
So I put on my researcher hat – and went to see if there was data to tell us when works when it comes to raising body confident kids.
The data I found shocked me. Then liberated me. It was so incredible I wanted to share it with every parent on the plant. I couldn’t believe what I was reading wasn’t filtering down from lofty research land to those of us who need it.
I’ve made it my mission to spread the knowledge I’ve gained to give parents practical tools to deal with the whole area of young people and body image.
Here’s how I can help you…
I can teach you the 10 Principles of Raising Body Confident Kids.
I’ll help you master:
- Awkward conversations with your kids about bodies so they are left feeling empowered
- Educating your kids to use social media in a way that won’t harm their body image
- Helping your kids to respect and care for their body regardless of its size or shape
- Eating disorder prevention
- Understanding how to stop the cycle of body shame in your family
- How to have peaceful meals without fights or the need to police