Body image
What body image means, how it affects your mental health and what causes body image concerns.
This content mentions body image and eating disorders, which some people may find triggering.
What is body image?
Body image is a term used to describe how we think and feel about our bodies, including how satisfied we are with our bodies and how much we value what other people think about our bodies.
Body image is a complex thing, which affects and is affected by our mental health and by so many things around us – people, places, images, culture - the list goes on. Body image issues can affect all of us at any age
How does body image affect mental health?
Research shows that aiming for an unrealistic body image can create unhelpful attitudes about ourselves. It leaves us feeling like we’re never enough and can create feelings of shame.
A YouGov study shows that in 2026, nearly half of people (about 48%) are not very happy or not happy at all with their weight and body image. Our 2019 research found that about one in five adults (21%) felt ‘satisfied’ because of their body image in the past year. We found that around one third of people (34%) had felt ‘down or low’, and one in five (20%) had felt ‘shame’ in the past year because of their body image.
Body image is closely linked to lower quality of life, and mental health problems, such as depression, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia. A 2021 poll found that six in ten (61%) Britons reported that how secure they feel about their body has had an impact on their sexual relationships.
BDD is a mental health problem where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance that are often unnoticeable to others, to the point that it may affect their daily life.
The way other people react to our bodies also has an effect on our mental health. A 2021 study found that more than half of adults who were trying to manage their weight reported ‘internalising’ stigma about their weight, which was associated with poor mental and physical quality of life, poorer body image, increased stress, and lower feelings of control around food and exercise.
Who experiences body image concerns and what causes them?
Even though body or appearance dissatisfaction is more common among young women, body image concerns are relevant from childhood to later life and affect all genders.
Research suggests that body image and body confidence can be affected by the following:
- our relationships with our family and friends – especially for young people
- how our family and peers feel and speak about bodies and appearance
- exposure to images of idealised or unrealistic bodies through media or social media
- pressure to look a certain way or to match an ‘ideal’ body type
- body changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and ageing.
Additionally, certain social factors can be connected to further complexity in our body image and mental health, such as:
If you feel affected by the content you have read, please see our get help page for support.
* Last updated: 25 June 2026
- Burrowes N. Body image - a rapid evidence assessment of the literature. [Internet]. London; 2013. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/body-confidence-arapid-evidence-assessment-of-the-literature
- Government Equalities Office. Body confidence campaign progress report 2015. [Internet]. London; 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/body-confidenceprogress-report-2015
- National Citizen Service. Taking action on body image An active citizenship toolkit for those working with young people. [Internet]. 2014. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370677/Body_image_final_17.10.14.pdf
- British Youth Council. A body confident future. [Internet]. 2017. Available from: http://www.byc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Youth-Select-Committee-A-Body-Confident-Future.pdf
- Sharpe H, Patalay P, Choo TH, Wall M, Mason SM, Goldschmidt AB, et al. Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood. Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Oct 16;30(4):1447–58.
- Vannucci A, Ohannessian CMC. Body Image Dissatisfaction and Anxiety Trajectories During Adolescence. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2018 Sep 3;47(5):785–95.
- Bearman SK, Martinez E, Stice E, Presnell K. The Skinny on Body Dissatisfaction: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Girls and Boys. J Youth Adolesc. 2006 Apr;35(2):217–29.
- Cafri G, Yamamiya Y, Brannick M, Thompson JK. The influence of sociocultural factors on body image: A meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Sci Pract. 2005 May 11;12(4):421–33.
- Griffiths S, Hay P, Mitchinson D, Mond J, McLean S, Rodgers B, et al. Sex differences in the relationships between body dissatisfaction, quality of life and psychological distress. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2016 Dec;40(6):518–22.
- Jackson KL, Janssen I, Appelhans BM, Kazlauskaite R, Karavolos K, Dugan SA, et al. Body image satisfaction and depression in midlife women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Arch Womens Mental Health. 2014 Jun 13;17(3):177–87.
- Goldschmidt AB, Wall M, Choo THJ, Becker C, Neumark-Sztainer D. Shared risk factors for mood-, eating-, and weight-related health outcomes. Heal Psychol. 2016 Mar;35(3):245–52.
- Smolak L, Levine MP. Body Image, Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders: Connections and Disconnects. In: Smolak L, Levine MP, editors. The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders, Assessment, Prevention, Treatment, Policy and Future Directions. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2015. p. 1–5.
- NHS. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) [Internet]. Health A-Z. 2017 [cited 2019 Apr 2]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-dysmorphia/
- De Vries DA, Vossen HGM, van der Kolk – van der Boom P. Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction: Investigating the Attenuating Role of Positive Parent–Adolescent Relationships. J Youth Adolesc. 2019;48(3):527-36.
- Neumark-Sztainer D, Bauer KW, Friend S, Hannan PJ, Story M, Berge JM. Family weight talk and dieting: How much do they matter for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls? J Adolesc Heal. 2010. Sep;47(3):270–6.
- Menzel JE, Schaefer LM, Burke NL, Mayhew LL, Brannick MT, Thompson JK. Appearance-related teasing, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating: A meta-analysis. Body Image. 2010;7(1):261–70.
- Sharpe H, Naumann U, Treasure J, Schmidt U. Is fat talking a causal risk factor for body dissatisfaction? A systematic review and metaanalysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2013;46(1):643–52.
- Holland G, Tiggemann M. A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image. 2016; 17:100-10.
- Grabe S, Ward LM, Hyde JS. The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns Among Women: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies. Psychol Bull. 2008 May;134(3):460–76.
- Blond A. Impacts of exposure to images of ideal bodies on male body dissatisfaction: A review. Body Image. 2008;5(1):244–50.
- Mingoia J, Hutchinson AD, Wilson C, Gleaves DH. The relationship between social networking site use and the internalization of a thin ideal in females: A meta-analytic review. Front Psychol. 2017 Aug 7;8:1351