Statistics surrounding body image

Having a positive body image is an important part of a person’s overall self-esteem, and negative thoughts about how you look can impact your entire life, making it difficult to feel happy.

It’s an issue which was previously viewed as one primarily affecting girls, but in recent years, statistics have shown that it’s also affecting males. Although body hang-ups are common, particularly when going through puberty, research from YMCA has revealed that 34% of teenage boys and 49% of teenage girls had been on a diet in an effort to change their body shape.

But it’s not exclusive to young people. A poll of 4,500 UK adults found one third had felt anxious about their bodies, with 1 in 8 experiencing suicidal thoughts. The study also found 1 in 5 of all UK adults said advertisements seen on social media had caused them to worry about their body image.

Social media’s effects on body image

Some claim the popularity of ‘the selfie’ and posting photos onto social media has created a generation obsessed with their looks.

Mark Rowland, the chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “There has always been idealised body representation across media, but it’s the quantity of those images and the frequency in which we see them [now] – that’s what we’re worried about. Let’s be proactive in increasing the diversity of – and range of – bodies across our media that people see.”

The difference between Body Dysmorphic Disorder and negative body image

Although being preoccupied with physical appearance is normal, especially during puberty, it can be a sign of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). This is when taking care of your appearance becomes obsessive.

Not being 100% happy with your body is completely normal. However, for people with BDD, a body hang up can become an obsession which makes them deeply unhappy. Sufferers of BDD also experience other mental health problems, including depression and self-harm.

Individuals with BDD become so consumed with their flaws that it begins to have a negative effect on their entire life. This can lead to continual extreme thoughts about corrective surgery or being completely unable to leave the house. Sufferers may avoid seeing friends and family, quit their job or miss school.

Tips to help combat your own negative body image

The first step in helping yourself have a positive outlook on your body image is to be more aware of the steps we can take to promote a more positive one.

• Talk to a friend, a trusted adult or a health professional if your body image is causing you stress

• Take note of the people and accounts you’re following on social media and how they make you feel , consider muting or unfollowing them if they cause you to feel negatively about your own body or appearance

• Be aware of how you feel when using certain smartphone apps and consider uninstalling them if you find them stressful in relation to your body image

• If you see an advert that you think presents an unhealthy body image as aspirational, you can complain to the Advertising Standards Authority

To learn more about how body image can affect mental health, click here: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/body-image-report/exec-summary