A recent survey of 2,000 people carried out by OnePoll on behalf of the Fashion Retail Academy, sadly shows that most Brits never come to terms with their body image. 57 per cent admit they’ve never reached the point of body confidence and 29 per cent said don’t feel confident when shopping for clothes. 

“Living in the digital age, in which the airbrush is used a little too liberally, it is easy to see why people feel self-conscious about their body image. Consumers are being constantly bombarded with unrealistic images of the human form,” says Lee Lucas, principal and CEO of the Fashion Retail Academy.

The results also show that on average, men are more confident than women with their body image, however, the percentages vary only slightly with men at 42 per cent vs women at 30 per cent. The proportion of people who say they feel comfortable with their physical appearance rises as people get older but never exceeds 43 per cent. In London, those surveyed were among the most comfortable with their bodies at 44 per cent, with Northern Ireland at 36 per cent, Scotland at 30 per cent, and Wales at 26 per cent. 

In recent times, there has been a much-needed increase in body positivity campaigns and as Lucas comments: “Fashion brands and shops have already started to adapt to body consciousness, with adverts starring models of all shapes, styles and sizes.” However, it appears more work needs to be done