Children as young as four feel insecurity and anxiety over their body image, a study has revealed.
The figures were unveiled as part of Dove’s latest research study, The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report, which surveyed young people aged 10–17 across 20 countries on their self-esteem and confidence.
It found that body confidence among children was impacted by their experiences at school, with nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) reporting low confidence because they do not like the way they look.
Dove has extended its Self-Esteem Project to children aged four and above in partnership with the popular live-action preschool brand, Blippi, as part of efforts to improve self-esteem in young girls.
The programme will provide inclusive, upbeat content for children to protect body confidence and help caregivers to discuss the issue.
Dr Nadia Craddock, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of West England Bristol, said of the findings: “The pressure to look a certain way from a young age can lead to long-term anxiety and unrealistic beauty expectations. Almost half of young girls expect to worry more about their appearance as they get older.
“Low body confidence is common among young people and it is not a benign issue. Decades of research show that low body confidence is associated with poor mental health, such as anxiety, low mood and eating distress. Low body confidence can also be an obstacle to participating fully at school, enjoying sports and social activities, and to engaging in health-promoting behaviours.”
She said researchers had recently observed signs of low body confidence in much younger children.
“There is a clear need for engaging and effective body image resources aimed at young children to help nurture a strong foundation in body confidence at this early developmental stage in order to minimise the burden of low body confidence as children grow up,” she added.
Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer at Dove, said: “With children as young as four starting to become aware of their appearance and how they feel about their body, we knew we needed to urgently intervene and extend our programme to a younger audience to support a healthy and positive outlook on body image and protect the younger generation from experiencing low body confidence.
“We want a future where young people feel empowered to confidently challenge beauty standards, advocate for themselves, and feel connected to and celebrate their bodies.”
