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Children and Youth Affairs Minister Frances Fitzgerald today launched ‘How We See It: Report of a Survey on Young People’s Body Image’.

This survey was carried out on foot of a key recommendation from Dáil na nÓg 2010, At that Assembly, the young delegates considered the importance of body image to teenagers’ mental health; and noting the lack of national data on teenagers’ body image; decided that this was an issue worth researching.

Minister Fitzgerald stated:

“I think that the fact that 2,156 teenagers from Comhairle na nÓg all over Ireland completed this survey gives it a significant validity.”

The Survey found that body image is a burning issue for young people in Ireland, with 77% of participants ranking body image as important to them. 57% of the young people surveyed expressed some level of satisfaction with their body image, which means 43% were dissatisfied;

The report also contains a number of international comparisons. For example, in Australia only 32% of young people surveyed identified body image as a major concern for them.

The Survey also found that almost 2 in 3 participants say they feel pressurised to look good for other people. More than half say that comparing themselves with others impacts negatively on their body image and that their body image interferes with their participation in activities such as swimming, dating and putting photographs on Facebook.

Responding to the findings Minister Fitzgerald stated: 

Having conducted this Survey; and having found how Irish teenagers are more sensitive to concerns over body-image that in other countries, I think there is an onus on all of us to understand this survey and its detailed findings.

Growing up is never easy. But for some young people it can prove particularly tough.  It is clear that for many young people concerns over their body image can be a source of much stress and pressure.

International studies repeatedly stress the serious social and health issues associated with negative body image, such as eating disorders, use of artificial supplements, interpersonal relationship problems, excessive exercise, withdrawal from participation and being subjected to teasing and bullying.

Other findings from the Survey include: 

• Comparison with others ranks as the most negative influence on girls’ body image.
• Bullying is identified as the most negative influence on boys’ body image.
• Positive body image rapidly declines throughout the adolescent years. In this survey, 15-year-olds are least satisfied with their body image
• 85% of the girls in the survey put time into their appearance compared with 54% of boys.
• 60% of all participants say that they feel pressurised to look good for other people. Girls (70%) are far more likely to say this than boys (46%).
• Almost twice as many girls (52%) as boys (29%) exercised to control their weight, with four times as many boys (50%) as girls (12%) using exercise to build muscle.

Recommendations from survey participants include: 

• the need for a national positive body image awareness campaign aimed at teenagers; and
• the role of schools in
• incorporating body image into the mainstream curriculum;
• making school sports less traditional, narrow and male-oriented;
• having regular talks on personal development; and
• providing healthy food options in canteens and vending machines.

Read the full Report here

  Young People's Version DCYA Body Image Survey