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Young people in Caerphilly plan to push back against the tide of “unrealistic” beauty standards promoted online, which they say can lead to low self-esteem and bullying.

Members of Caerphilly Youth Forum have chosen body positivity, physical and mental health as their priority issue for the current year, following a vote by more than 2,000 members.

Megan Roberts, who chairs the forum, said it also wanted to promote exercise, healthy eating and good nutrition as ways to support mental health.

Social media is “a real problem with the messages it sends to young people and issues around positivity”, vice-chair Ryan Bethell-Karouach told Caerphilly County Borough Council’s education committee.

“A lot of what they see online isn’t real,” he said. “This can lead to [young people] feeling bad about how they look, and in some cases bullying.”

Ryan told the committee that body positivity – the forum’s chosen theme for 2026 – was “all about celebrating all bodies regardless of shape, size, skin tone or physical ability”.

“It is about challenging unrealistic edited beauty standards that are seen online, and recognising that a person’s worth is not defined by their appearance,” he added.

Megan and Ryan said the forum’s members had participated in a borough-wide consultation, drawing up a shortlist of five main issues before body positivity was selected through an online ballot.

The committee heard how young people struggle with the cost of healthy food and local gyms, and have also found it difficult to access mental health support during stressful exam periods.

Megan said the forum had to consider what it could “realistically do” to address the priority issue, including ways to “raise awareness among decision-makers” and ask them to give it “due regard” when planning their policies.

Youth Forum coordinator Lee Kabza told the committee the forum’s first meeting on the new issue had been productive, and one early idea is to consider developing an online app for young people, including tips on making healthy meals, self-care, taking time for themselves, and signposting for local mental health and support groups.

Other issues shortlisted by the forum’s members for the recent ballot were opportunities for post-16 education, community safe spaces, healthy relationships, and the dangers of fire.

The forum will attend a council cabinet meeting in May to present its plans to address its priority issue throughout 2026.