Be strong in your skin
Celebrate your curves and break free of barriers
We all have bad body days, but whether you wish you were taller, or had slimmer legs or a smaller bottom, constantly picking yourself apart can really knock your self-esteem.
New research carried out by Weight Watchers reveals that over half of the women quizzed who were aged between 18 and 30 struggled with confidence, and 58 per cent of women admitted their body is the main area of concern. ‘There are so many pressures that women feel today when it comes to body image, with peer pressure from friends or colleagues who seem to have better bodies making a person with already low self-esteem feel even worse. The media perpetuating images of flawless celebrities adds more pressure, cultivating an unrealistic idea of beautiful. There is also much to blame on social media, as many women struggle to look at photographs of themselves and be happy,’ says body-image counsellor Antonia Mariconda.
BODY LOVE
Lacking body confidence can massively set you back in all areas of life. New statistics show that feeling bad about their bodies prevented a third of women in Britain from applying for a pay rise or promotion, as they thought they’d be overlooked despite being more than qualified for the job. In addition, 15 per cent of participants said that they would advise a friend or family member to have cosmetic surgery to change a part of their body to make them feel less self-conscious.
Dislike what you see in the mirror? You’re not alone. Forty-one per cent cited their stomachs as their main problem area and more than 26 per cent of respondents said general body self-consciousness affected their social life. Plus more than 27 per cent said the greatest concerns in their daily life were their love life and how attractive they felt.
‘This research does not surprise me,’ says Antonia. ‘There is big
competition out there with the likes of social media superstars and flawless celebrities constantly looking fantastic, in style, in shape and in love with their life. In reality that is not us, and to a large extent that is also not them. There is much tweaking, filtering and Photoshopping going on behind those insta-perfect snaps that you don’t necessarily know about.’
BEAUTY FROM WITHIN
It sounds like a cliché but beauty really does come from the inside. Nobody is perfect and a slim body alone doesn’t make a woman beautiful. If you feel good about yourself on the inside you’ll naturally radiate beauty. Rather than concentrating on your appearance, remember that your body gives you the physical strength to be the person you are. And let’s not forget, there’s only one of you, so why would you want to look like anyone else? ‘In the real world we have to accept what we have and learn how to make it work for us. Confidence is beauty. I have seen average-looking girls have the world at their feet simply because they didn’t let their looks, skin or weight dominate their ambitions or passion for life,’ reveals Antonia.
We want you to feel strong, healthy and body-bold, so we’ve decided to tackle insecurities head-on. Take our body-confidence quiz and read the expert tips to help you feel happy with what you see in the mirror.