Girl Scouts of the USA and Flamingo Launch Body Appreciation Program as New Research Reveals Body Image Pressures Girls Are Facing at a Young Age
The program encourages girls to appreciate what their bodies can do instead of what they look like
August 12, 2025
Media Contact:
Mina Beach
PR & Marketing
Coordinator
Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania
T:
800-248-3355
mbeach@gswpa.org
On August 12, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, in partnership with women’s personal care brand, Flamingo, launched a new Body Appreciation Program, which is designed to help girls appreciate their bodies for what they can do, rather than how they look. The program draws on new research from GSUSA, which highlights the significant impact of body image pressures on girls. The findings reveal that more than one third (36%) of girls ages 5–13 hear negative body image messages from the women around them. While 96% of girls say they like the way they look, 37% still wish they could change something about their appearance — a number that increases to 50% for girls ages 11–13. These mixed messages can erode girls’ self-worth, making it essential to shift the focus toward valuing bodies for their abilities, not their appearance.
Co-developed with expert advisors, including leading mental health and youth development organizations, and shaped by insights from a national pilot with troop leaders and Girl Scouts, the new badge curriculum lays the foundation for the Body Appreciation Program. The program guides Girl Scouts to appreciate the many functions and abilities of their bodies — from breathing and thinking to running, dancing, and creating. Through fun and age-appropriate activities, Girl Scouts in grades K–12 will build confidence, practice self-care and develop lifelong habits that support both physical and emotional well-being. They’ll learn to move for fun, celebrate what makes them — and others — unique and embrace their authentic selves. Along the way, they’ll explore how to set boundaries and respond thoughtfully to pressures from society, media and peers — all while learning how to lift others up and create a culture of kindness and respect.
"This new Body Appreciation badge line reinforces our commitment to helping girls develop the confidence and self-worth they need to thrive. By focusing on what their bodies can do — rather than how they look — we’re equipping girls with tools to embrace their strengths, set healthy boundaries, and celebrate their unique abilities. This program is an important step toward building a generation of girls who are resilient, compassionate, and unshakably confident in themselves." — Patricia A. Burkart, CEO, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania
Other findings from the research include:
-
Girls ages 5–7 receive the most comments about how they look.
- When asked if girls get more compliments on their
appearance or their abilities, half of girls ages 5–7 said they
receive more compliments about how they look, a pattern that
reverses as girls get older, with 66% and 64% of girls ages 8–10
and 11–13, respectively, reporting that people focus more on
their abilities than their appearance.
- When asked if girls get more compliments on their
appearance or their abilities, half of girls ages 5–7 said they
receive more compliments about how they look, a pattern that
reverses as girls get older, with 66% and 64% of girls ages 8–10
and 11–13, respectively, reporting that people focus more on
their abilities than their appearance.
-
Girls want to be called smart, not pretty.
- When asked what words girls most want others to use to
describe them, girls of all age groups said smart (36%), funny
(17%) or creative (17%).
- When asked what words girls most want others to use to
describe them, girls of all age groups said smart (36%), funny
(17%) or creative (17%).
-
Girls pay attention to negative self-talk.
- Girls as young as 5 years old report hearing the women in their lives talk negatively about the way they look, something that becomes more prominent as they get older, with 52% of girls ages 8–10 saying they hear it a lot or sometimes, and 41% of 11–to 13-year-old girls saying they hear it all the time or sometimes.
The program is supported by more than $1 million in funding from Flamingo to help ensure wide access, continued curriculum development and long-term program sustainability.
“At Flamingo, we believe self-care goes beyond products — it’s about showing up for yourself with confidence and compassion,” said Vikki Williams Cornwall, VP of Flamingo. “Partnering with Girl Scouts to launch the Body Appreciation Program is a natural extension of our mission. Together, we’re supporting girls at a formative time in their lives, helping them build self-worth and celebrate what makes them, and others, uniquely powerful.”
By transforming the way girls think about their bodies, the Body Appreciation badge line builds a foundation of confidence, self-respect and compassion. It’s more than a badge — it’s a powerful step toward lifelong well-being and self-acceptance.
Learn more at girlscouts.org/bodyappreciation.
