To address the growing pressures on girls, the Girl Scouts have taken on body image pressure with a new confidence-boosting program.
A nationwide Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) survey of 1,000 girls, ages 5 to 13, found that 37% wish they could change something about their appearance. Among 11- to 13-year-olds, that number spikes to 50%. Even more concerning? More than one-third say they hear negative body talk from the women in their own lives.
The organization is determined to change that. Partnering with Flamingo, GSUSA launched the Body Appreciation Program on August 12, 2025, which is a confidence-boosting, self-love-centered initiative designed to help girls of all ages embrace their bodies, their abilities, and themselves.
“For too long, there’s been an outsized focus on women’s bodies and how they look—and now we know that girls as young as 5 are internalizing negative messaging from the women around them,” Sarah Keating, vice president of girl and volunteer experience at GSUSA said in a recent interview with Parents.com.
“Social media only complicates things, often flooding girls with unrealistic and narrowly defined standards of beauty. We need to shift the narrative and teach girls how to value their bodies for what they can do, not how they appear.”
The Body Appreciation Program is open to Girl Scouts in grades K–12 and is packed with fun, age-appropriate activities that promote confidence, self-care, and resilience against societal pressures. Girls can earn badges for completing themed activities such as:
- Fun with Movement (Daisies): Playful activities that help girls enjoy moving their bodies and celebrate what they can do.
- Outside the Mirror (Cadettes): Media literacy exercises that challenge beauty myths and encourage defining beauty on your own terms.
- Cheers for Every Body (Ambassadors): Style, self-expression, and body language workshops that help girls embrace their individuality.
“We’re hoping to shift the way girls think about their bodies and develop an appreciation for all the things they can do,” Keating said.
The GSUSA research also sends a clear message to parents…girls are listening. Dr. Charlotte H. Markey, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, told the outlet that, “It teaches girls that a way to build community with other girls and women is to complain about body and appearance issues.”
Instead, she encourages families to praise abilities over looks, model positive self-talk, and stay alert for signs that a child may be struggling with body image.
Want to raise body-confident girls? Here are a few tools that you can add to your parenting toolbox:
- Avoid “fat talk” or negative comments about your own appearance.
- Compliment your child on their skills, personality, and creativity, not just looks.
- Encourage healthy habits because of how they make you feel, not for weight loss.
- Watch for warning signs such as sudden changes in eating habits or exercise routines.
- Have open, judgment-free conversations if you notice changes.
- Seek professional help early if concerns escalate.
As Keating put it, helping girls value themselves for who they are, and not just how they look, can build “a lifelong foundation of well-being and self-acceptance.”
