Body image concerns now start as young as 6

Half of UK teenagers have body image and weight concerns, starting from as early as the age of six, according to a new study.

A survey by weight management company LighterLife has revealed that over 60% of British women are conscious of their weight before the age of 21 (61.2 per cent), with a shocking 15 per cent saying they first put their body under scrutiny when they were at primary school age, or even younger.

The study shows how body image and unhealthy behaviour around food is on the rise, impacting children as young as six. The key stages of this insecurity playing out are in our teenage years (33 per cent) and then again as a young adult just starting out in a career (19 per cent).

And it’s not just women, the study showed that 43% of men become concerned about their weight and body image under the age of 21, and 1 in 10 under the age of 12.

Mandy Cassidy, Psychological Director for LighterLife commented: “It is a concern that we are seeing a rise in young people worrying unnecessarily about their body image. Many experts will agree that having a positive attitude toward your own body is the best way to maintain a healthy relationship food”.

England has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, with more than 60 per cent of adults and a third of 10 and 11 years overweight or obese. Those numbers are predicted to rise to over 50 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of children by 2050 if no action is taken. Mandy Cassidy continued:

“If body images issues like this occur at an early age, inevitably this will play out in adulthood and change the way a person behaves around food, which although is assumed to lead to under eating, can also lead to overeating.

“We know that addressing overeating and weight gain is not just about willpower or eating less and the earlier we can all encourage and support healthy approach to body image and weight the better. There is also a cycle – if parents are eating well and have a good relationship with food and body image they can impact positively on the family and encourage children to be more comfortable with who they are”.