One In Five Girls Aged 11 And UNDER Have Already Dieted

You’ve probably heard about the UK’s child obesity issue – it’s hard to avoid with controversial celebrities such as Katie Hopkins weighing in on the debate.

But while 25 per cent of UK girls are clinically obese, equally worrying is the sheer volume of young children who are so worried about their body image that they’re already dieting.

Scarily, a fifth of girls aged 11 and under have admitting to dieting, research from the Government Equalities Office shows.

That’s girls who are still in junior school, are only allowed to watch PGs and Us and aren’t old enough to stay home alone. Yet they’re already cutting certain foods out of their diets.

It’s not just really young children who are conscious of their shape and weight – teenagers appear to have a really unhealthy attitude to appearance.

Some 87 per cent of girls aged 11 to 21 admit to thinking that women are judged on their looks instead of their ability – probably because nine out of 10 girls think statements of women on TV focus on their appearance, instead of their achievements.

One in six GCSE students have even pulled sickies to get out of going to school because they aren’t happy with their appearance. This lack of confidence is even stopped children and teenagers from exercising as 23 per cent of girls aged seven to 21 don’t do any sport because they don’t like their figure and, we hazard a guess, don’t want to show it off in swimming costumes or sportswear.

Worryingly, the report suggests that people who aren’t happy with their body and lack self esteem are at a greater risk of trying “risky coping strategies” including dabbling in drugs and drinking, smoking, dieting and vomiting to keep their appetite at bay.

These figures have hit headlines on the back of the inspiring This Girl Can campaign, which Sport England has launched to promote women taking part in sport.

“We have got the advertising industry to think again about the types of images they show, about how much retouching is appropriate – working with retailers, guidance for teachers, national citizenship service, youth groups,” equalities minister Jo Swinson told Sky News.

“We absolutely need to make sure that children have resilience to deal with the world around them. But we also need to look at the unrealitisic imagery that’s there.”

A healthy, and balanced, diet for children and teenagers is really important – they need plenty of energy and nutrients to support their growth and to help them concentrate at school. We all know how tough it is to be productive without having had a proper brekkie!  

If you’re worried that your child is trying a fad diet or that her weight is an issue, you can use the NHS healthy weight calculator or get in touch with Beating Eating Disorders charity for advice and support.

Do you think more needs to be done on children’s eating habits? Let us know in the comments below.

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