Ninety-seven per cent of women say 13 negative things about their body every day, such as: ‘I hate my thighs’, ‘I hate my stomach’ or ‘I'm ugly’, a recent US survey has revealed.
The first thing women notice about other women is how fat they are, a UK study of 2,000 women found.
Ninety per cent of women aged 15 to 64 want to change at least one aspect of their appearance, most of all their body weight, according to an International survey.
Dietician and co-author of The Good Enough Diet (Wiley), Tara Diversi, says body image issues exist across all age groups. "Girls as young as five have strong ideas about weight, such as fat is bad and skinny is good”, reports Bodyandsoul.com.
There are four main factors contributing to women's negative body image, according to Diversi.
1. Parents' body image
Many parents are dieting and saying skinny is better, even when they have healthy bodies, and this sets up their children to have the same approach.
2. Mixed messages
Education about the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods can actually trigger eating disorders in kids.
3. Models in media
Research shows the more women see pictures of perfect women in the media, the more they believe they should look like that.
4. Taking control
It may not be weight that is causing women to feel unhappy or unsatisfied, but it's the part that can be perceived as the easiest to control.
