General Article Body dissatisfaction: It’s not just teenage girls

Topic Selected: Body Image Book Volume: 375
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Last week, the Government released a report outlining what needs to be done about the issue of body image

By Shannon Rawlins

When we think of anxiety about body image, what comes to mind? Adolescent girls standing in front of the mirror wishing they had a thigh gap? Rake-thin young women crippled by anorexia or bulimia? But not teenage boys feeling inadequate because they are not ‘manly’ enough. And certainly not gay and lesbian young people wondering whether they look how they are ‘supposed’ to look.

It is not just teenage girls however.

In 2017, a Youth Select Committee raised concerns about the long-lasting consequences of body dissatisfaction for ‘health, education and wider life outcomes’. Last week, the Government responded to this, releasing a report outlining what should be done to tackle the issue. Significantly, an emphasis has been put on the specific challenges faced by young men, LGBT youth, ethnic minorities and those with disabilities.

It is fantastic that some concre...

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