Body image and mental health

Our research found that 30% of all adults have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

That’s almost 1 in every 3 people.

Discover our research, advice and stories surrounding body image and mental health below, including our Mind Over Mirror campaign.

Colourful graphic with the text 'body image'

Research and advice

Body image: How we think and feel about our bodies

Our latest body image research, released during Mental Health Awareness Week 2019.

Read the report

Tips to improve body image

There are some actions we can take to improve how we feel about our bodies and help us to protect, promote and maintain a positive body image throughout our lives.

Read all the tips

Body image: we are more than what we look like

This report highlights a series of key recommendations for helping young people across Scotland achieve good body image and recognise that we are much more than what we look like.

Learn more from the report

Healthy social media report

A report on personal experiences of social media and strategies for building a positive relationship between social media use and body image.

Read more

Image-editing apps and mental health

Learn more in our briefing about image-editing apps and mental health.

Download now

Mind Over Mirror

Our 2021 campaign focusing on the impact that body image can have on mental health, Mind Over Mirror has been co-created with young people, parents and adults who experience body image concerns.

Mind Over Mirror Report

Research shows that aiming for an unrealistic ideal can create unhelpful attitudes about ourselves. We begin to seek perfection, based on ideals that we see around us. Even though we know, really, no one is perfect – we sometimes convince ourselves that we should aim towards perfection.

Feeling my mind - tips for maintaining a positive body image

We all have our ups and downs on the journey to self-acceptance. Here’s some tips to help you maintain a healthy sense of self.

Parenting for a healthy body image

This content was co-created with a diverse group of parents who know first-hand the challenge of modern parenting.

Mirror my mind comics

Here’s some comic strips about how you can talk about cosmetic treatments.

Body image stories

Photo of James
Story
James' story: my experience with anorexia and eating disorders
James' story: my experience with anorexia and eating disorders
Photo of Tyra
Story
Tyra's story: facing my mirror
Tyra's story: facing my mirror
Photo of Jenny and her three sons
Story
Jenny's story: my body is a trophy of the maternal journey
Jenny's story: my body is a trophy of the maternal journey
Photo of Luke Tyberski, a supporter who wrote a story about mental health
Story
Luke's story: binge eating, depression and how my obsession with fitness wasn't necessarily a good thing
Luke's story: binge eating, depression and how my obsession with fitness wasn't necessarily a good thing
Photo of Paul
Story
Paul's story: my feelings about my body image are a 'work in progress'
Paul's story: my feelings about my body image are a 'work in progress'
Photo of Lucy with a horse
Story
Lucy's story: how I feel about my body as a teenager
Lucy's story: how I feel about my body as a teenager
Photo of Michael
Story
Michael's story: when my body changed, I didn't know how to feel
Michael's story: when my body changed, I didn't know how to feel
Woman looking at her reflection in glass

Video/Audio: "You're more than a reflection"

A powerful spoken word poem performed by Priscila Hernandez for our body image campaign.

Podcast microphone graphic

Podcast: Body image, shame and mental health

In this episode, we talk about body image, shame and mental health.

Was this content useful?