Body Image: Pride vs Prejudice

Conversations about body image pervade contemporary discourse and political discussion about eating disorders, the beauty industry, sexuality, consumer culture, food, advertising, gender, and mental health.

And yet the voices of those most affected are often drowned out in the cacophony of public discussion on these issues. This THINK! event thus seeks to amplify the voices of survivors of disordered eating and campaigners on the relationships between mental health, diet and consumer culture in order to provide a range of personal perspectives on a widespread and complex issue.

Hope Virgo is a mental health campaigner and author and an ambassador for the Shaw Mind Foundation. Hope suffered with anorexia for over 4 years, before being admitted to a Mental Health Hospital in 2007. She lived in the hospital for a year, fighting one of the hardest battles of her life.

Since being discharged, she has fought to stay well. Hope is now at the stage of 'ongoing recovery' and wants to use her experiences of mental health illness to champion the rights of others, inspire them to get well, and help break the stigma of mental illness.

Her first book, "Stand Tall Little Girl: Facing Up to Anorexia" was published in 2017.

Martin Woodsford is an actor, baker and campaigner who rose to prominence after being named Slimming World’s Mr Sleek 2016, having lost over nine stones in weight.

He describes how his weight issues had begun with an abusive childhood, and had developed into disordered eating and obesity which frequently caused him to require hospital treatment.

After the birth of his children, Martin sought help to change his lifestyle and his relationship with food, and has since become an ambassador for Slimming World and for healthy eating more broadly.

We are privileged and delighted to welcome Hope and Martin to speak at our THINK Series on Wednesday 21 February at 2pm in the Ivor Crewe B.

No need to register for this free event - just turn up. 

Part of the THINK Series.