It is a perfect day at the beach. Five women of different body types, ages and ethnicities lounge, stand and sit on golden sand. Above, in cloudy white text, there is a message in Spanish: "Summers is ours too".

This is the banner image for a new Spanish government campaign. Launched yesterday, it aims to encourage all women to enjoy their bodies. Ione Belarra, Spain's social rights minister said: "All bodies are valid and we have the right to enjoy life as we are, without guilt or shame."

The campaign has a joyful tone. But it is also an attack. For decades, women have been bombarded with advertisements and articles that promote the idea of the perfect body: a thin, toned, youthful form that resembles those of models. One sub-category of this is the beach body, one deemed "attractive" enough to wear swimwear.

Critics have accused advertisers and the media of body shaming. These images can make people insecure or upset about their own physical appearance. Psychologists have found that this body shaming has terrible effects. It can lead to body dysmorphiaA mental health condition where someone spends a lot of time worrying about physical flaws, which are often unnoticeable to others. , depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and eating disorders. Some eating disorders can be fatal, such as anorexia.

The Spanish government campaign wants to encourage a new age of acceptance. But some believe it faces an uphill battle. As health scientist Elliot Montgomery Sklar writes: "It is common and expected that women be unhappy with their bodies."

An obsession with the perfect body is nothing new. According to historian Andrew Bayliss, Spartan women were forced to dance and sing naked in front of young men so that they would be "ashamed to be fat or weak". In the 20th Century, a slimmer figure became the norm, as epitomised by supermodels from Twiggy to Kate Moss.

A prejudice towards those that display a certain form of beauty continues. The list is endless. Hollywood stars are cast for their appearance. TabloidsA newspaper that has smaller pages. It typically has lots of pictures and sensational stories. applaud celebrities who lose weight and mock those who gain it. The contestants on TV show Love Island all share a specific body image. 

Social media has provided a new arena for spreading unrealistic standards. One survey has found 35% of teenagers feel stressed about how they look in posted photos. In recent times, the problem has spread to men. A 2014 research paper claimed that 95% percent of men surveyed had faced body shaming. 

Others, however, believe that we are on the cusp of change. In 2015, an advert promoting a slim beach body was banned in the UK. The next year, mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to remove all body-shaming from London transport. The Spanish government campaign is another positive step in this battle.

Famous figures argue that we should love the body we inhabit. Pop star Lizzo has spoken about "normalising" her body, so that all bodies are viewed in a similar light. Slam poet Sonya Renee Taylor argues that "the body is not an apology". We should embrace our bodies whatever their form.

Yes: After centuries of being trapped by conventional ideas of beauty, we are gradually learning to find beauty in all things. The time has come to love ourselves and move past the age of shame.

No: From Sparta to Spain, we have always been obsessed with our bodies and appearance - and always will be. It will take more than positive campaigns and advertising restrictions to transform human nature.

Or... There are millions of people in the world who lack the time and money to fixate on their appearance. As the world lurches towards a climate crisis, chasing perfection might become a thing of the past.