This kind of content is rife on social media, but what’s the impact?

If you’ve ever taken a peek into the world of online fitness content, you’ve almost certainly come across ‘before and after’ body transformation pictures and videos. They could be there to sell you a fitness program, a diet supplement, or simply be a record of someone’s experience. But, despite their commonality, a new study from ASICS has uncovered the impact that this kind of content is having on our mental health.

In their survey, 48% of respondents reported feeling insecure about their bodies after seeing exercise transformation pictures. A staggering 82% of women surveyed (and 73% of Brits overall) believe that society’s obsession with the perfect body is damaging our mental health, and 80% say that they go on to feel unmotivated to exercise after seeing transformation imagery – a sentiment that is at odds with the ‘inspirational’ tone this content often adopts.

Supported by a host of celebrities, including Dr Alex George, Jada Sezer, and Motsi Mabuse, ASICS has launched a campaign to disrupt the ‘before and after’ format, and shift the focus to the ways that exercise can transform our mental health.

Following a roundtable discussion, in a series of images, the celebrities are pictured before and after doing 15 minutes and nine seconds of exercise – the length of time it takes to feel the benefit of exercise on our minds. Predictably, there is no dramatic transformation in their bodies, with the goal of the series to illustrate the ‘hidden’ benefits of an active lifestyle.

“I have been on a real journey with exercise and the reasons why I do it. When I was younger, I really used exercise as a weapon, to try and look thin, to look a certain way,” says Dr Alex George. “When I went on Love Island a few years later, I was over-training, and it wasn’t good for my mental health. Now, I’ve changed the way I view exercise and it’s really helped my mental health. I move for my mind, rather than to look a certain way.”

In a move taken following the research, ASICS EMEA has committed to not posting exercise transformation images on its social media channels, with the support of the ASICS Front Runner community, who will only share images that reflect the powerful mental and emotional impact of exercise.

Hayley Jarvis, head of physical activity at the charity Mind, echoes the importance of adopting a new approach to exercise: “Mind is a firm believer in the power of movement, however small, to support better mental health,” she says.

“Our aim is to support more people to get active to help them to thrive. Our own research shows that many people are put off exercising because they feel self-conscious. The more we can do to remove the barriers to people enjoying the benefits of exercise, the better.”

One in four expectant mothers are reluctant to share their pregnancy news for fear of the stigma that they may face

The discovery of a pregnancy is often a cause for joy and celebration as parents look forward to the start of a new chapter of their lives. But among the happiness, a study from Culture Shift, a platform for reporting bullying and harassment, has found that one in four expectant mothers are reluctant to share their pregnancy news, due to a fear of the stigma that they may face in the workplace – with the figures rising to nearly half of women who had been in employment for less than six months when they found out they were pregnant.

And the fears aren’t unfounded. 21% of survey respondents know someone who had faced maternity discrimination at work, and 12% have experienced it themselves.

Sources of stigma and discrimination highlighted in the survey included:

• Feeling like their colleagues were talking about them behind their back
• Believing their employer no longer recognised their good work
• Not being invited to team socials
• Hours were reduced when they shared they were pregnant
• Not being included in team meetings

All these things come together to create an anxiety-inducing and uncomfortable environment, at a time when support is needed the most.

“It’s particularly concerning to see that for one in 10, the perpetrator is their manager, the very person employees should be able to confide in when they are in a challenging situation and who is meant to be setting an example for fellow colleagues,” says Gemma McCall, CEO at Culture Shift.

“Having a child is a huge moment for parents and affects so many aspects of their life. Expectant mothers already have a lot to contend with as they prepare for the arrival of their little one and they shouldn’t have to be subjected to such behaviour which can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Not only this, but facing maternity discrimination can make expectant mothers feel incredibly isolated. Being pregnant should be an enjoyable experience for mothers, and they shouldn’t be exposed to such negative behaviour in their place of work.”

What can I do if I’m experiencing pregnancy stigma or discrimination?

By law, an employer must not discriminate against someone because of their pregnancy, because of an illness related to their pregnancy – including related time off – or because of maternity pay or leave that they are taking or plan to take. And this law applies regardless of how long the individual has been in employment.

Some examples of discrimination include dismissal, not offering them a job, changing their pay, forcing them to work on maternity leave, refusal of job training or promotion opportunities, reduction in hours, pressure to resign, or failure to remove health and safety risks at work – and this applies throughout pregnancy, and until the end of maternity leave.

For information and guidance, you can get free advice from maternityaction.org.uk

But while more obvious discrimination can be challenged by the law, subtle stigma is rife, and it’s forcing expectant mothers to make difficult choices, like hiding their pregna

Adults across the UK are missing out on vital care for fear of making an unnecessary fuss

A survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by Benenden Health, has uncovered that 32% of Brits ignore health symptoms, with just 35% reporting that they regularly monitor their health.

So why is that? Well, the survey found that, among those who ignored symptoms, the most common reasons they gave for doing so were ‘being unable to get a healthcare appointment’, ‘thinking others required the medical attention more’, ‘not wanting to cause a fuss’, ‘believing that the NHS is too overstretched and wouldn’t have time to see them’, and ‘because they were too scared to find out what the issue was’.

Though worrying, it’s easy to see how we’ve got to this point. With the news stocked with stories of overflowing waiting lists, burnt out healthcare workers, and NHS services cuts, thinking twice before reaching out for help is becoming the new normal. But at what cost?

In the survey, results found that only a quarter of the population monitors their blood pressure, one in 10 check their cholesterol, and 7% perform regular checks for cancer. Additionally, 8% said that they do not check or monitor their health, because they don’t know how to. All this together results in potentially serious medical conditions being missed.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Benenden Health and Channel 4 have launched the ‘Time for a check in’ campaign, to encourage people to tune in to their health, and learn about when and why it’s important to reach out for help.

“I know first-hand how when things get busy, our health can be the first thing to take a backseat. I’ve definitely been guilty of taking my physical and mental health for granted at times and have only realised this at times when my body hasn’t worked in the way I’ve wanted it to,” says AJ Odudu, presenter and face of the campaign.

“I believe that good health is of core importance to our happiness and that’s why it’s so important to make sure we’re checking in and looking after ourselves. If you’ve noticed some changes and something doesn’t look or feel right, talk to someone, see a professional and put your health first: it’s no fuss at all.”

Benenden Health has created an online hub, where you can find information and guides, but there are many ways that you can stay on top of your health.

You can sign up for free text or email reminders to check your breasts by signing up on coppafeel.org, you can also try running through a mental health check-in, or visit the NHS website for information on an A-Z on health conditions and symptoms. Plus, a key way of staying on top of things to have a good understanding of the things to watch out for, such as regular chest pain, sudden weight loss, a change in bowel habits, and a change to an existing mole.

“There is nothing to be embarrassed about when