Sport can be an incredible space for young people — it can build confidence, connection and community. But for some, it can also be a place where body image pressures emerge and are reinforced. From comments about appearance to outdated ideas about weight or fitness, these moments can leave a lasting impact. In fact, the 2023 Butterfly Body Kind Youth Survey found that 78% of young Australians had experienced appearance-related teasing, and for 37% of them, concerns about their appearance frequently stopped them from taking part in physical activity and sport.
The Activate Masterclass, created by experts at The Embrace Collective, is a 15-minute video resource designed to empower coaches, athletes, and sports administrators to promote positive body image and create supportive sport settings. When young people feel comfortable in their bodies, they are more likely to stay engaged in sport, boosting their physical and mental health as well as strengthening their social connections.
To find out whether the masterclass was making a real difference, independent researchers from The Embrace Impact Lab at Flinders University ran two studies to evaluate its impact.
What did the research find?
Study 1:
This study used a randomised controlled trial, often called the ‘gold standard’ in research. It involved randomly placing 140 adults involved in sport into two groups to test the impact of the masterclass. One group watched the Activate Masterclass, while the other viewed a control video unrelated to body image. Both groups completed surveys before and after viewing.
The results were clear: Adults who watched the Activate Masterclass showed significant improvements in knowledge, awareness and confidence when it came to promoting positive body image among young athletes. The largest effects were for awareness, with the largest change being awareness of knowing not to talk about food restriction around others (increased from 74.6% before the masterclass to 91.5% after). Adults who had seen the training indicated intentions to take action, with 94.4% agreeing they would take negative body talk in sporting settings seriously, 95.8% agreeing they would avoid negative body talk in sport settings, and 97.2% agreeing they would focus on talking about what bodies can do in sport settings, rather than how they look.
The majority (94.5%) of adults said they would recommend the masterclass to others, and when asked if the approaches discussed in the video would have made a difference to them as young athletes, 83.6% of participants agreed.
Study 2 (in progress):
The second study is looking at the masterclass in real club settings. So far, it has involved 58 coaches, parents, and volunteers from 21 clubs across Australia. Club members view the masterclass and complete surveys before, immediately after, and one month later. The researchers are still collecting more data, but here’s a look at some of the preliminary results so far.
The results so far have shown immediate boosts in awareness and confidence in behaviours supportive of body image, as well as ongoing improvements in body appreciation and confidence identifying and recognising body image concerns. Of the participants thus far, 98% agreed that they would recommend the masterclass to others.
These improvements were reflected in participants’ increased confidence across a range of practical situations, including:
- Being aware of whether to talk about dieting or food restriction around children and young people (increased from 81.5% before the masterclass to 96.2% after)
- Talking with relevant staff to help determine whether a child or young person has body image concerns (75.9% before to 90.2% after)
- Talking with a child or young person who has recently had a sudden and drastic change in weight (70.4% before to 85% after)
- Asking a child or young person if they have body image concerns (57.4% before to 80.5% after)
- Recognising when a child or young person is not comfortable in their body (79.6% before to 95.1% after)
Taken together, these two studies indicate that, in two different groups of adults, there were clear and significant improvements in knowledge, and intentions to change behaviour, from a relatively short video-based program.
If implemented broadly throughout sporting clubs around Australia, this program has great potential for impact. We know from the research that when adults model positive behaviours around bodies, food and movement in sport settings, it creates a ripple effect. Even small language changes — like praising effort over appearance or focusing on how bodies function — can help young people feel more comfortable, included and motivated to stay in sport.
This independent research was conducted by The Embrace Impact Lab at Flinders University. The Embrace Collective funded the research from the Embrace Kids Australia Project, which received support from the Australian Government. Funding agreements specifically required research objectivity. The Embrace Collective had no control over the outcome of the research.
The Activate Masterclass is available for free here.
