BBC – Judith Burns
“Girls in the UK are markedly less confident about their looks than they were five years ago, research by Girlguiding suggests. Just 61% of 1,627 seven- to 21-year-old girls polled for the 2016 Girls’ Attitudes Survey felt happy about their bodies, down from 73% in 2011. Girls as young as seven face “intense and unobtainable appearance pressures to be perfect”, say the authors. Girlguiding director Becky Hewitt called the impact “shocking”. “Girls have told us to stop judging them on how they look,” she said. “Every day in guiding, girls inspire us with their bravery, sense of adventure and their kindness. “We are calling on everyone to show girls that they are valued for who they are – not what they look like,” said Ms Hewitt. The report says body image is an issue which surrounds girls every day – in the media, via social media and in other people’s attitudes.”(more)