Jenny Craig call has nourishing outcome

Jenny Craig call has nourishing outcome

The call to  ‘Stop Jenny Craig’s CEO from presenting at Girls’ Schools conference’ continues to make ripples.  Many of you joined the public outcry by signing the petition – and the good news is that your voice has been heard. Yes, every vote does count. Petition organiser, Lydia Jade Turner, provides an update:

Hi Everyone,

I am very excited to tell you that we have had many wonderful outcomes in our campaign to oust Jenny Craig’s CEO as keynote speaker from the Alliance of Girls’ Schools (AGSA) conference!

Thank you to all of you who signed the petition on change.org. An open letter signed by 145 international health experts was subsequently sent out to every Alliance school across Australia (following the Easter vacation and International No Diet Day campaigns). You can read the open letter here: http://bodymatters.com.au/2012/05/over-145-international-health-experts-sign-open-letter-in-protest-of-jenny-craig/

3 international peak professional eating disorder bodies’ made public statements in support of our campaign – including the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the Australian New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED), while the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) similarly provided a supporting letter outlining their protest.

As a result of these actions, sparked by your signing of the petition, we achieved:

– front page and leading articles in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
– an article in The Australian
– national radio interviews
– a debate on The Morning Show
– a discussion about the Jenny Craig issue on TV breakfast show ‘Mornings’ (this one didn’t include me, but rather a group of panelists)
– an article pubished in the ABC’s The Drum
– Medical doctor & award-winning author of ‘If Not Dieting, Then What?” Dr Rick Kausman presented to over 1000 school teachers which included the issue of why Jenny Craig is an inappropriate leader for girls’ schools
– more community-based and school offers to present on health and weight issues
– feminist group FedUp? leafleted outside of the conference on May 28
– I have been invited to write the feature article (pull-out format) for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools biannual journal, which is circulated to all Alliance schools both within Australia and overseas. It will discuss the harms of the dieting industry and eating disorders prevention

Folks, there is no doubt that together we have sent a very loud and clear message that we do not want the dieting industry anywhere near our schools! Thanks to every single one of you who signed the petition, we have also had an enormous impact in educating Australians about the harms of the multi-billion dollar dieting industry! So thanks SO much for your support – many wonderful outcomes achieved by all.

Best wishes,
Lydia Jade Turner