The international survey of 5000 people, conducted by Mortar Research, revealed more than four in five (84%) of Australians feel health is often misrepresented in society, with more than a third (41%) believing health is frequently shown as a one-size-fits-all approach. And they aren’t alone, with people in the UK and Spain sharing similar views.
While the majority (55%) of Australians recognise role models can inspire positive health changes such as staying active (54%) and building self-belief (21%), almost a third (31%) want to see more fitness abilities and body types portrayed in the media.
Leibovitz, renowned for her iconic portraits has captured what health means to six Para athletes with captivating portraits that celebrate health in all its forms.
Curtis McGrath OAM, an Australian Paralympic multi-gold medallist in Para-canoe and former soldier who was photographed along the River Seine, said he was proud to be selected to represent Australia in the global campaign.
“I was thrilled to be chosen to be part of this amazing campaign and help shift the way we talk about health. For me, health is independence. Being happy, fit and doing the things I want to do when I can. And that means a lot,” Curtis said.
Bupa’s Chief Customer and Transformation Officer, Danielle Handley, said the Picture of Health campaign aimed to inspire a conversation about what true health is, and what it can be.
“Every day, we’re bombarded with images about what being ‘healthy’ looks like, and often it isn’t truly reflective of the diverse nature of our community, and positive physical and mental health. What it means to be healthy is different for everyone and there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach,” Ms Handley said.
“We wanted to start this with a series of dynamic and striking photos that could inspire people to share their own Pictures of Health. Given her fame for capturing the stories of the people she works with, Annie Leibovitz was the perfect photographer to help bring Picture of Health to life and showcase what health means for each of our six athletes.”
To celebrate health in all its forms and add to the captivating line-up of images shot by Annie Leibovitz, Bupa is calling on people across the globe to upload their own Picture of Health and show what being and feeling healthy really means to them in its online gallery between 21 May to 21 June 2024.
Those uploading their photos in Australia also have the chance to win tickets to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this August. Visit bupapictureofhealth.com to find out more.
ENDS
Portrait of Curtis McGrath by Annie Leibovitz https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3lnklavdiffqyiajnjwpe/AM_vEO9KYMUaWnEd_op6hvQ?dl=0&e=1&preview=20240218+05E_02+BUPA_PARIS_SH01_S_075_G.tif&rlkey=lzd9s6c9kewltzzp6ud99qbib
About us:
About the athletes
Curtis McGrath OAM
Australian Para Canoeist and former soldier, Curtis McGrath lost both of his legs following an IED blast in Afghanistan. Less than two years later, he broke a world record time and won the 200m VL2 world title in Moscow, Russia. He has since taken home 12 World Championship gold medals, and one silver, one bronze, and won three gold medals across the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Among the six portraits is British gold medallist Richard Whitehead MBE, for whom health is determination, transforming adversity into opportunity, and Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, British sprinter, captured with his family to reflect his holistic view of health as both physical and mental energy.
Sara Andrés Barrio, a Spanish sprinter and long jump champion who, triumphed over following a car accident, sees health as a state of fullness and tranquillity; Mariana Zúñiga, Chile's trailblazing Para-archer, views health as synonymous with self-belief, and Róża Kozakowska, a Polish gold medallist in club throw and shot put, perceives health as the strength to conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
About the research
The research was carried out by Mortar Research. 5,202 people were surveyed online (including 2,051 in the UK; 2,098 in Spain and 1,053 in Australia). Quotas were set to ensure respondents were nationally representative of age (18+), gender and region for each country. Fieldwork took place between 22nd – 27th April 2024.
About Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz began publishing her work in Rolling Stone in 1970. The magazine was then a groundbreaking voice of the counterculture and she was still a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. She was Rolling Stone’s chief photographer by 1973. Ten years later, when she left Rolling Stone to join Vanity Fair and then Vogue, her photographs had become widely recognizable and distinctive interpretations of the contemporary landscape. Her large and distinguished body of work encompasses some of the most well-known and influential portraits of our time.
Contact details:
Christina Patsias
External Communication Manager
Email: christina.patsias@bupa.com.au
Mob: 0423 060 614