Love Island ‘fuels body-image obsession’

 Social media and reality TV shows such as Love Island have fuelled a rise in appearance-related stress among young women, a survey has suggested.

More than four in 10 women (42 per cent) aged 16 to 24 have experienced stress related to their appearance this year, up from 26 per cent in 2016, according to a report by analyst Mintel.

A Mintel spokeswoman said: “The constant exposure to unrealistic ideals of beauty is having a strong impact on young women, who increasingly report their physical appearance as a factor of stress and discontent. It is likely that social media and reality TV shows such as Love Island have helped cultivate an unhealthy obsession with appearance perfection that women feel the need to live up to.”

Overall, 91 per cent of 16 to 24-yearolds have experienced stress in the past year, compared with 77 per cent of over-55s.

But while stress levels peak among younger consumers, just four per cent did nothing to tackle the problem, compared with 23 per cent of over-55s.