According to recent research, those who use sunbeds regularly are more likely to feel depressed about their appearance than those who do not use sunbeds. A survey carried out by Cancer Research UK has revealed that 45% of sunbed users aged 18-34 are unhappy with how they look. In comparison, the research revealed that of read more »

Poor body image and low self-esteem affect both female and male school children, a teacher’s association has found. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has warned media promotion of an unattainable body image is destroying young people’s self esteem. In a survey of 639 union members, 78% said they thought girls suffered low self-esteem, while read more »

Obtaining illegal drugs is becoming easier and more lethal thanks to the hard to trace online drug market. The death of 16-year-old Isobel Narayan highlights a new danger within the online drugs market. Isobel was at the top of her class in Physics and the daughter of a judge but sadly like many other people read more »

Digital technology enables young children to view explicit pornography at just a tap of a button. While boys once had to sneak battered magazines in their rucksack to share raunchy images in the playground, now they can download – not just nude images, but highly explicit pornography in bulk, from anywhere. The easy access and read more »

A new study suggests that fictional representations of women in female led literature (or chick lit) could have a damaging effect on women’s body image. Academics from Virginia Tech looked at the effect protagonists and their body esteem have on female readers. The team concluded that health officials should be concerned about women’s responses to read more »

In interviews last week, equalities minister Jo Swinson urged women to be more supportive of each other when discussing weight and body-image. The 32-year-old body image campaigner recently wrote an open letter to magazine editors urging them to stop publishing ‘reckless’ diets, which could be putting readers’ health at risk. Not only do these ‘miracle read more »

As well as increasingly the likelihood of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, being overweight or obese can seriously impact a teenager’s mental health. Overweight teenagers are at greater risk of social alienation, low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction than their slimmer peers. A new study published in the read more »

Coming soon to BBC is the ‘Body Beautiful’ season, a series of TV, radio and online features exploring perceptions of body-image in Britain. The season, due to launch this Autumn across BBC Three, BBC Radio One, 1Xtra and Children, Schools and Learning online, will feature cutting-edge documentaries, online tools and interactive debates designed to get read more »

Two American teenage girls have delivered a 28,000 signature anti-airbrushing petition to Teen Vogue in a bid to bring an end to fashion magazines editing photos to unrealistic standards. Carina Cruz 16, and Emma Stydahar 17, recently delivered a petition featuring 28,000 signatures to Teen Vogue to try and put a stop to airbrushing. The read more »

A new report from the British Association of Dermatologists (Bad) has highlighted how additional funding for services offering support to individuals suffering from skin conditions is desperately needed. According to statistics, approximately 50% of the UK population will experience a skin problem each year, with the most common conditions including eczema, acne and psoriasis. Whilst read more »