Body shame makes teens shun exercise

FOUR out of five teenagers say they struggle with PE classes – because they are ashamed of how their bodies look.

They claim their appearance means they feel physically unable to do the lessons, a study found.

And researchers warn it could be putting children off exercise for a lifetime, increasing the risk of obesity and serious illness.

It comes as Scotland struggles to combat an obesity crisis, with two-thirds of adults overweight – and 29 per cent of those are obese. Nearly a third of children are overweight or obese by the time they start primary one.

The study into how teens feel about their bodies and PE was carried out by Strathclyde University’s Professor David Kirk and youth sport expert Dr Charlotte Kerner.

It found girls suffer anxiety about not being thin enough, while boys are concerned about weight and muscle tone.

More than 500 13 to 14-yearolds were quizzed, with 80.5 per cent of boys and 82.6 per cent of girls expressing dissatisfaction with their bodies and feeling less physically able during PE.

Report co-author Dr Charlotte Kerner said: ‘When pupils experience greater levels of satisfaction with their bodies, they are more likely to value PE lessons and re-engage in physical activity outside school.

‘Boys often go overlooked in discussions of body image yet these figures highlight how body image is of equal concern.’ More than a quarter of the teens said PE had discouraged them from taking part in sport outside of school, with only two-fifths saying it had encouraged them. Boys were more willing to try new activities.

The report, in the Health Education Journal, said: ‘PE programmes... should focus on creating an environment that promotes body satisfaction.’

Dr Ian Campbell, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘This is concerning. Exercise is key not only to a healthy weight, but to disease prevention, bone development, muscle growth and psychological wellbeing.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are striving for a society where children do not suffer because of issues with their body image.

‘We are implementing a range of actions to ensure young people get the care they need and deserve.’