Creating a world free from judgement and shame about our bodies.
We’re so glad you’re here! What started as a mission to change the way we feel about our bodies has grown into a DGR1-registered health promotion charity reaching over one million Australian children each year.
We bring together world-class research and creative storytelling to help young people — and the adults who raise, teach and coach them — build better body image, for life. There’s so much more we can do together, and we’d love to change even more young lives with your help.
With gratitude,
Taryn Brumfitt and Dr Zali Yager
13,000+
educators creating safe, inclusive learning environments
10,000+
parents raising a generation free from body image distress
2mil +
young people reached in Australia across 2023 and 2024
77%
of Australian adolescents report body image distress
(MILTON ET AL., 2021)
77%
of Australian adolescents report body image distress (MILTON ET AL., 2021)
33%
of adolescent girls meet the criteria for an eating disorder
(MITCHISON ET AL., 2020)
33%
of adolescent girls meet the criteria for an eating disorder (MITCHISON ET AL., 2020)
24x
People with body dissatisfaction are 24x more likely to develop depression and anxiety
(BORNIOLI ET AL., 2021)
24 x
(BORNIOLI ET AL., 2021)
Evidence-
based
programs
Informed
by lived
experience
Collaboration
over
competition
Advocating
for change
The Embrace Impact Lab is the research arm of The Embrace Collective at Flinders University. It is a dedicated collaboration of multidisciplinary researchers who work to create a nexus between research, policy and practice to drive impact and improvements in body image, health and wellbeing across the lifespan.
What we do at The Embrace Impact Lab
- Conduct innovative research that can inform programs, policy and practice
- Host world-leading scholars to contribute their knowledge
- Evaluate programs to determine impact
Who we are
Learn more about Taryn Brumfitt
Taryn Brumfitt is an award-winning filmmaker, bestselling author and internationally sought-after keynote speaker. Awarded 2023 Australian of the Year, she is a fiercely passionate advocate for social change and her message has reached more than 200 million people around the world.
Taryn is the founder of the Body Image Movement, director of the inspiring documentaries Embrace and EMBRACE KIDS, and author of four books. Her global crusade to help people embrace their bodies has seen her recognised by UN Women, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and the Geena Davis Institute. Taryn has delivered more than 100 keynote addresses, and her talk at Google HQ in Silicon Valley was live-streamed to every Google office in the world.
In 2018, she was recognised in the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence awards and received the SA Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership from Women and Leadership Australia. She was also crowned EY Entrepreneur of the Year, South Australia, and has been named among GE’s highest-rated speakers. With a powerful, universal message and unwavering commitment to her cause, Taryn Brumfitt is a true force to be reckoned with.
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Learn more about Dr Zali Yager
Dr Zali Yager is an internationally-recognised expert in the body image space, known for figuring out ‘what works’ to help people feel better about their bodies.
Zali is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University, with a background in health and physical education.
In 2021, Zali was awarded one of 10 Westpac Social Change Fellowships. She received a Creswick Fellowship to spend time at Harvard and Northeastern University in 2018, and a Leverhulme Fellowship in 2011 to complete her postdoctoral work at the Centre for Appearance Research in the UK.
Zali co-authored the Embrace Kids book with Taryn Brumfitt, and was the body image expert advisor on the EMBRACE KIDS film. She is ridiculously passionate and driven by the desire to create a safer body image environment for the next generation.
We’re also backed by a global network of researchers, experts, lived experience advisors and youth advocates, who inform our programs, advocacy and campaigns that change the way the world thinks and feels about bodies, weight and health.
What we do
We embed body image resources in the places young people spend most of their time — home, school and sport & dance.
For early learning environments with 0-8 year olds
Programs and professional learning for early learning settings to secondary schools
Body Blocks
Professional development program that empowers young children to develop positive relationships with food, movement and their bodies from the very beginning of their lives
For schools and educators
Programs and professional learning for early learning settings to secondary schools
For families
Tips, tools and resources for creating a body confident home environment
Parent Masterclass
Practical tips to help children build positive body image, in a five-minute video presented by dad and comedian Nazeem Hussain
Nourish, Nurture, Notice
Supports parents to recognise early signs of disordered eating and take action, comprised of a video masterclass and live expert sessions
Embrace magazine
Supports parents to build better body image for themselves and their kids, with expert advice for parenting dilemmas, celebrity interviews, recipes and more
Embrace Kids book
Practical, evidence-informed advice helping parents build their own body confidence while guiding kids through diet culture, social media and friendship pressures
EMBRACE KIDS film
Practical, evidence-informed advice helping parents build their own body confidence while guiding kids through diet culture, social media and friendship pressures
For sports
Resources for community sports clubs and dance studios to keep young people moving their bodies for longer
Activate Playbook
Breaks down four key actions sporting clubs can take to build better body image and keep young people playing sport
Activate Masterclass
Video hosted by former Olympic swimmer Libby Trickett that is complementary to the Activate Playbook
Activate Dance Recommendations
Practical recommendations for dance teachers, and choreographers to create dance spaces that feel welcoming for every body
For families
Tips, tools and resources for creating a body confident home environment
Parent Masterclass
Practical tips to help children build positive body image, in a five-minute video presented by dad and comedian Nazeem Hussain
Nourish, Nurture, Notice
Supports parents to recognise early signs of disordered eating and take action, comprised of a video masterclass and live expert sessions
Embrace magazine
Supports parents to build better body image for themselves and their kids, with expert advice for parenting dilemmas, celebrity interviews, recipes and more
Embrace Kids book
Practical, evidence-informed advice helping parents build their own body confidence while guiding kids through diet culture, social media and friendship pressures
EMBRACE KIDS film
Practical, evidence-informed advice helping parents build their own body confidence while guiding kids through diet culture, social media and friendship pressures
For early learning, schools and educators
Programs and professional learning for early learning settings to secondary schools
Body Blocks
Professional development program that empowers young children to develop positive relationships with food, movement and their bodies from the very beginning of their lives
Embrace Kids Classroom Program
Curriculum-aligned lessons for Years 5-8 students on body image, social media, gender identity and more
Teacher Masterclass
Supports parents to build better body image for themselves and their kids, with expert advice for parenting dilemmas, celebrity interviews, recipes and more
For sports
Resources for community sports clubs and dance studios to keep young people moving their bodies for longer
Activate Playbook
Breaks down four key actions sporting clubs can take to build better body image and keep young people playing sport
Activate Masterclass
Video hosted by former Olympic swimmer Libby Trickett that is complementary to the Activate Playbook
Activate Dance Recommendations
Practical recommendations for dance teachers, and choreographers to create dance spaces that feel welcoming for every body
Backed by research, not guesswork
The Embrace Impact Lab is our dedicated research arm, based at Flinders University. It exists to close the gap between research, policy and practice, generating evidence that shapes what we build, and proving what works.
We currently have six pieces of research that confirm the efficacy of our programs and resources.
Changing the systems around young people
Our collaborative advocacy has driven real systems change, including Australian curriculum updates that shift the focus from weight to health to prevent eating disorders in 2023, and nutrition policy reform in the early learning sector in 2026.
We’ve worked alongside
Let's change lives together
Be a force for good
Partner with us to empower young people and those around them with the inspiration, research and resources to build better body image, now and for generations to come.
Whether you’re exploring a partnership, considering support or want to understand how our research translates into impact, we’d welcome the conversation.
