Hidden cost of body image at work
Brumfitt says body image issues are not always easy to spot in the workplace.
“Body image shows up when people feel pressure to ‘look the part’, or feel judged based on size, age or appearance,” she says.
“It’s in the silent stress before a presentation, the fear of being photographed at a work event, agonising about what to wear, the dress code or uniforms that mean people aren’t comfortable, or the comment about someone’s diet or lunch. These things can seem small – but they add up in big ways.”
Since the launch of Embrace@Work with Dr Zali Yager and Ellen Hooper in New York earlier this year, she says the response has been incredible. “There’s been this collective sigh of ‘finally!’ So many people have felt pressure around the way they look at work, and they’re tired of pretending it doesn’t affect them,” she says.
“HR leaders, CEOs and everyday employees have told us that Embrace@Work is filling a critical gap by helping to create cultures where people feel seen, respected and comfortable in their own skin. It’s been so powerful.”
Brumfitt knows what it feels like to be judged and shamed about her appearance at work.
“In my early corporate career, before I learnt to embrace my body, I definitely felt the pressure to look a certain way so I’d be taken seriously. I’ve heard the tearoom chatter about diets and looked down at my lunch, which suddenly looked less appealing.”
She wants Embrace@Work to be embedded in every organisation so staff can focus on what they can achieve at work, not how they look.
“Our goal is to empower organisations to shift culture – not just through policies but through action. That means that people can accept and appreciate themselves and each other for who they are, not what they look like. When we embed this culture in workplaces, it creates a ripple effect where inclusion, respect and psychological safety become the norm.”
While the message is serious, Brumfitt is adamant that learning to appreciate your body can be a whole lot of fun.
“The Embrace@Work program is evidence-based and has huge goals, but we’ve built a challenge-based framework that’s engaging and accessible. It’s based around tiny actions that can have big results. It’s easy for staff to fit into their day or their week, and they’ll actually look forward to it,” she says.
“Our goal is ambitious but clear: we want to bring this program to businesses on every continent. I can’t wait to help shake up the business world and show employers how feeling good leads to doing good.”
Find out more about Embrace@Work.
Spotlight
According to Brumfitt, up to 60% of men and 70% of women wish they looked different and spend time and energy worrying about their appearance, which holds them back from performing at their best.
“When people don’t feel comfortable in their bodies, they shrink themselves – make themselves smaller, hold themselves back. That affects confidence, productivity and mental health. For employers, it can mean higher absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover.
“In the US, body dissatisfaction costs businesses $69 billion in productivity losses. But when workplaces foster body-image-inclusive cultures, people thrive. And thriving people drive thriving organisations.”
To employers who want to know why body image is a workplace issue, Brumfitt has a simple response: “If your staff have bodies, then body image is a work issue. This is something that impacts how people show up, how they feel about themselves and how they relate to others. And when people are free from the stress and shame around appearance, they have more energy, creativity and connection to give to their work,” she says.
“We used to think that mental health had no place in the workplace, and now we absolutely know the impact it has. Body image is the same; just because we’re not talking about it doesn’t mean it’s not affecting your bottom line.”
As a globally accomplished filmmaker, speaker and impact entrepreneur, Taryn Brumfitt has a bold vision and commitment to change that make her a true force of influence. Founder of the Body Image Movement, co-director of The Embrace Collective charity and creator of Embrace@Work – the world’s first workplace program to help build better body image – she leads a global movement that’s reached over 200 million people in 190 countries.
Named 2023 Australian of the Year, awarded an Honorary Doctorate and invited to speak at Harvard University and visit the White House, she’s an international force for change – shifting perspectives, sparking action and delivering powerful results.
Company Profile
250
keynotes delivered by Brumfitt around the world
7
academic degrees held by Embrace@Work directors
1,000+
media appearances
200 million
people reached across 190 countries
2 million
Australian kids reached in 2023 and 2024
worldwide influence
A global impact entrepreneur and dynamic keynote speaker, Brumfitt has reached >200 million people across 190 countries
creative achievements
Five books, two feature films and even a #1 iTunes song
philanthropic impact
The Embrace Collective charity has raised >$12m to help people feel good about their bodies
Taryn Brumfitt
Founder of the Body Image Movement, co-executive director of The Embrace Collective
Taryn Brumfitt, 2023 Australian of the Year, changed the global conversation around body image. Now she’s taking her message to the workplace
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“Poor body image is a hidden drain on focus, productivity, positivity and energy. And it costs businesses a staggering $69 billion in lost productivity every year”
Taryn Brumfitt,
Body Image Movement;
The Embrace Collective
“When people don’t feel comfortable in their bodies, they shrink themselves – make themselves smaller, hold themselves back. That affects confidence, productivity and mental health. For employers, it can mean higher absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover”
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How comments in the tearoom can hurt
Why body image is a workplace issue
Published 01 Sep 2025
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A powerful photograph transformed Taryn Brumfitt’s life and changed the global conversation around body image. The 2023 Australian of the Year was fed up with body image pressure when she posted her unconventional before-and-after photos on Facebook one night.
Her ‘before’ photo was a shot of her on stage in a bodybuilding competition, and her ‘after’ photo was a happy, smiling pic with a couple of natural rolls included. The media frenzy that followed sparked a revolution – it led Brumfitt to create the Body Image Movement and become a bestselling author, filmmaker and international keynote speaker.
Thousands of people started reaching out to her about their own body image battles. Driven by a burning desire to help people appreciate their bodies, she co-founded The Embrace Collective alongside Dr Zali Yager – a health promotion charity helping adults, children, schoolkids and families live a life that’s free from judgement and shame about their bodies.
But, amid all the progress, Brumfitt kept asking herself one question: how could she reach people where they spend most of their time – at work? How could she help them feel better about their bodies in environments that demand their best every day?
Well, now she has the answer. It’s Embrace@Work – the world’s first program helping employees build a better body image.
“I’ve written five books, made two films, and we’ve done so much work at The Embrace Collective in schools, sport and with parents to build better body image in all the places where young people live, learn and play. But if we want to shift the culture around appearance pressure, we can’t leave workplaces out of the conversation,” Brumfitt says.
“Real social changes come when we make an intergenerational change. Workplaces are key to that. We’ve seen it with smoking and mental health – when workplaces get on board, the issue really starts to shift.”
Taryn Brumfitt,
Body Image Movement;
The Embrace Collective
Painful personal experience
Keeping the focus on fun
2016
2017
2023
2024
2025
Brumfitt’s debut film, Embrace, is launched and climbs to #1 on the iTunes documentary charts in the US, the UK and Canada
2016
Delivers a keynote address at Google HQ in Silicon Valley that is live streamed to every Google office in the world
2017
Awarded 2023 Australian of the Year by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Attends White House State Dinner
Presents Embrace Kids documentary at Harvard University
2023
Receives an Honorary Doctorate from Flinders University, a distinction honouring extraordinary leadership that significantly changes lives and makes a lasting impact
2024
Launches Embrace@Work in New York City, alongside co-founders Dr Zali Yager and Ellen Hooper
2025
Milestones
The Embrace Collective charity has raised >$12m to help people feel good about their bodies
Five books, two feature films and even a #1 iTunes song
A global impact entrepreneur and dynamic keynote speaker, Brumfitt has reached >200 million people across 190 countries
“When people don’t feel comfortable in their bodies, they shrink themselves – make themselves smaller, hold themselves back. That affects confidence, productivity and mental health. For employers, it can mean higher absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover”
How comments in the tearoom can hurt
“Poor body image is a hidden drain on focus, productivity, positivity and energy. And it costs businesses a staggering $69 billion in lost productivity every year”
Taryn Brumfitt,
Body Image Movement;
The Embrace Collective
Published 01 Sep 2025
2 million
Australian kids reached in 2023 and 2024
1,000+
media appearances
200 million
people reached across 190 countries
7
academic degrees held by Embrace@Work directors
250
keynotes delivered by Brumfitt around the world
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Appointed to the governing council of the Insurance Institute of Ontario
2019
Crawford wins IBC award as an Insurance Industry Employer of Choice
2020
Completed acquisition of edjuster, a contents valuation and service platform
2021
Appointed president, Crawford Canada, responsible for leading operations across all business lines nationally
2022
Completed the Rotman-ICD Directors Education Program
2023
Milestones
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Appointed to the governing council of the Insurance Institute of Ontario
2019
Crawford wins IBC award as an Insurance Industry Employer of Choice
2020
Completed acquisition of edjuster, a contents valuation and service platform
2021
Appointed president, Crawford Canada, responsible for leading operations across all business lines nationally
2022
Completed the Rotman-ICD Directors Education Program
2023
Milestones
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Company Profile