Thea's Background

Thea O’Connor is an experienced health promotion consultant, speaker and writer. She has seventeen years experience in the health sector, ranging from her work as a clinical and community dietitian, masseuse, Director of Body Image and Health Inc (a Victorian not for profit organisation committed to the prevention of body image and eating problems), Partner of Corporeal~workplace wellbeing, and health writer/speaker.

Health Communicator

Whether speaking to academics, senior managers, schools students or parents, Thea is highly effective in getting her message across in a relaxed, convincing and entertaining way. She is the also a freelance health writer, contributing to a range of publications including the Sydney Morning Herald (Essentials -health and lifestyle lift out,My Career and Eco section) Sunday Life Magazine, (The Age and Sun Herald), In the Black, Teenmatters (magazine for parents of teenagers) Jetstar In-flight magazine, Practical Parenting and The Australian Worker. She is the former health editor of New Woman magazine and a regular guest on ABC Regional Radio (mid north coast) on Tuesday afternoons.

Workplace Health

As partner of Corporeal Thea developed expertise in designing and delivering workplace wellbeing programs for blue and white collar workers, including clients such as The Age, TAC, CGU, Coles Myer, Free Hills, Victoria Legal Aid, Department of Employment Small Business and Workplace Relations and the Forestry Industry.

Body Image and Eating Behaviour

Thea has a strong commitment to freeing women, and increasingly men, from the unsatisfying and unhealthy pursuit of the elusive ‘perfect’ body. Her decade of specialist experience in the inter-related areas of body image, eating behavior and weight management has included:

Former Director of Body Image and Health Inc. Melbourne (VicHealth funded)
Member of the Ministerial reference group for the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry in Body Image and Young People Member, and member of expert reference group for two Commonwealth-funded childhood nutrition projects.
Consultant to the Department of Education for the development of online body image lesson plans for all secondary schools in Victoria
Consultant to the Department of Human Services, Public Health Division, Victoria to assist in the development of an evidence-based resource for practitioners to help them plan community-based prevention programs aimed at promoting positive body image and self esteem.
Currently an Associate Investigator for a community based childhood obesity prevention intervention, headed by Deakin University, Victoria.
Regular lectures on body image at Deakin and Monash Universities
Specialist service provision to school communities - students, parents and teachers, on how to adopt a whole-school approach to the promoting positive body image and preventing eating disorders.