One in five girls of primary school age have been on a diet, official figures suggest. Research from the Government Equalities Office reveals that as young girls progress through school their body image(身体意象) grows worse rapidly.
The Body Confidence Progress Report states that poor body image is a “public health problem” and an “equalities issue” that can limit the opportunities available to women and girls. It shows one in five girls aged between 5 and 11 say they have been on a diet, while 87 per cent of girls aged 11 to 21 think that women are judged more on their appearance than ability. One in six GCSE students have even avoided going to school because they feel bad about their appearance.
The report adds that people with poor body image are more likely to lack self-esteem, making them vulnerable to peer pressure and depression. They may turn to “risky coping strategies” such as vomiting, abusing alcohol and drugs, crash dieting, smoking to control their appetite and self harming.
Low body confidence has also been linked to low participation in sport. The research shows that 23 per cent of girls aged between 7 and 21 don’t exercise because they are unhappy with their body image, while nearly half of girls think getting sweaty is not suitable for women. Sport England launched a £10 million advertising campaign called This Girl Can—which has had more than seven million hits online—to promote women taking part in sport.
The Body Confidence report also found nine out of ten adults would like to see a broader range of body shapes shown in advertising and the media. As well as this, nine out of ten teenage girls think statements about girls and women on TV and in magazines focus too much on what they look like, instead of what they achieve.
The report adds that there is a strong relationship between poor body image and weight problems, “People with low levels of body satisfaction are more likely to gain weight over time, whereas those who have higher levels of body satisfaction are less likely to put on weight.”
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