October Health – 2025 Report

Body image in Canada

Leading cause: Internalization of unrealistic beauty ideals promoted by mass media and social media, which drives social comparison and body dissatisfaction across Canada's population, with particularly strong effects among youth and increasingly among men. Workplace note: To support employees, promote diverse body representations, reduce appearance-based judgments, and offer accessible mental health resources (e.g., October’s digital group sessions, assessments, and content) focused on healthy body image and resilience.

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Body image Prevalence
22.48%
Affected people
12,364,000

Impact on the people of Canada

  • Health impacts

    • Chronic stress and sleep disruption, leading to fatigue and headaches
    • Increased risk of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem
    • Disordered eating patterns and unhealthy weight-control behaviors

  • Personal life impacts

    • Social withdrawal and tension in relationships
    • Greater difficulty with intimacy and parenting confidence
    • Avoidance of activities or events due to body concerns

  • Workplace impacts

    • Reduced concentration, decision-making, and productivity
    • Higher absenteeism or presenteeism; strained coworker dynamics
    • Lower job satisfaction and greater burnout risk

  • Getting support

    • Seek professional help (family doctor, psychologist) and consider body-image–focused therapies; digital options like October for group sessions can help if appropriate
    • Build supportive routines: consistent sleep, regular meals, enjoyable physical activity; limit harmful social media
    • Leverage workplace resources: employee assistance programs (EAP), HR wellness supports, and open conversations with a supervisor about accommodations or needs

Impact on the Canada Economy

  • Productivity and attendance losses: increased presenteeism and absenteeism from anxiety, depression, or eating disorders tied to body image stress, lowering output in Canadian workplaces.
  • Health care and social costs: higher demand for mental health services and potential disability claims, raising healthcare costs and insurance premiums.
  • Labour market participation and retention: greater turnover and recruitment challenges; stigma and reduced participation among affected groups can harm talent pipelines in Canada.
  • Societal and long-term human capital costs: potential impacts on education outcomes, wage growth, and GDP if body image stress remains unaddressed.
  • Workplace interventions and supports: programs like October offering digital group sessions, assessments, and content can mitigate these costs by improving resilience and access to mental health resources in Canadian workplaces.

What can government do to assist?

  • Campaigns for diverse body norms and media literacy

    • Fund national campaigns promoting body diversity and critical media consumption.
    • Encourage industry standards to reduce retouched imagery; require clear disclosures when images are altered.

  • School-based prevention and education

    • Integrate body image and media literacy into K-12 curricula; train teachers on supportive approaches.
    • Provide culturally safe materials for Indigenous communities and 2SLGBTQ+ youth; ensure accessibility for rural students.

  • Advertising and digital platform standards

    • Regulate advertising to curb harmful beauty ideals; require transparency around image editing.
    • Implement age-appropriate protections and platform accountability for content that affects body image.

  • Access to mental health care and digital supports

    • Expand publicly funded mental health services and telehealth access; fund digital tools.
    • Partner with platforms like October to deliver group sessions, assessments, and psychoeducation in schools, workplaces, and communities.

  • Workplaces and public sector leadership

    • Establish national mental-health-friendly workplace guidelines; mandate anti-stigma training and supportive policies.
    • Monitor outcomes with equitable data; promote flexible work practices and inclusive dress policies.

What can businesses do to assist their employees?

  • Anti-body-shaming policy and culture: implement a clear policy that prohibits weight/appearance-based harassment and holds leaders accountable for modeling respectful behavior.

  • Inclusive dress code and privacy: ensure dress codes are non-stigmatizing, provide size-inclusive options, and protect privacy in appearance-related conversations or evaluations.

  • Education and training: require managers and staff to complete body-image stigma and bystander-intervention training; include microaggressions and supportive conversations.

  • Accessible mental health resources: offer confidential counselling and group sessions focused on body image and self-compassion (e.g., October digital group sessions); ensure easy access and stigma-free sign‑ups.

  • Positive communications and wellness focus: run body‑positive, inclusive campaigns; promote holistic health (sleep, stress, nutrition) rather than weight or appearance goals; avoid before/after imagery.

  • Measurement and accountability: regularly survey employee experiences, track resource usage, and adjust policies based on feedback; ensure alignment with Canadian privacy and human rights standards.