A NEWPORT mum-of-one is putting on a free film showing to help people accept their body shape and size.

Sarah McAllister will be showing the body confident film EMBRACE at The Neon this Sunday and is one of the 2,000 people who are hosting an event in the UK.

The 33-year-old, who has a three-year-old son called Zachary, says the film has "completely changed her life" and she is more body positive than she ever has been before.

The film follows body image activist Taryn Brumfitt, who posted an unconventional before-and-after photo in 2013. The post was seen by more than 100 million people worldwide and sparked an international media frenzy. The story then follows Taryn’s crusade as she explores the global issue of body loathing, inspiring people to change the way they feel about themselves and their bodies.

After Mrs McAllister saw the film she said it connected with her and she now wants to get the message out there that body image is not the "be all and end all".

She has now bought the license to the film which means she will be able to show the film, along with thousands of other people who have done the same.

This is part of The Union Project - a project which aims to spread the word about body positivity. The scheme involves people buying a license for the film and showing it in local venues for others to learn about what funder Taryn Brumfitt calls body image education.

Speaking about what made her want to get involved with the project, Mrs McAllister said: "After having my son, Zachary, I struggled with adjusting to how my body had changed.

"Going from a flat tummy to a wobbly one with stretch marks affected my self esteem. The EMBRACE film opened my eyes as to why I was struggling - it was ok not to be the way I was before.

"The media and advertisers often present one singular body type as a standard for women and men, and it is an unrealistic and unattainable body type at that.

"I connected with the film more than I thought I could, it uplifts and educates. As a mum, it scares me how children are now focusing on their body, size and shape.

"Studies have shown girls as young as eight-years-old wanting to be thinner and having a warped sense of their body size. When I was that age, I barely notice myself in the mirror.

"This is why I have bought the license to show the film. I am reaching out not only to every woman out there that struggles, but parents and teachers too. I feel passionately that we have to do something to educate and protect our children, hence my involvement in The Union Project."

The aim of The Union Project is to allow an Embrace Education Study Guide to be created in accordance with national UK curriculum standard and be made as a free classroom resource.

The study guide will be developed in consultation with education specialists, health professionals and psychologists and is said to help to foster a positive body image in the classroom.

The showing of EMBRACE will take place at The Neon in Clarence Place, Newport at 3pm this Sunday (November 26).

For more information on the film and The Union Project, visit bodyimagemovement.com/embracetheunionproject/