Analysis of YouGov survey data by Elanic Medical has found that almost half of Great Britain report some level of dissatisfaction with their body image and weight. The survey asked the question ‘In general, how happy, if at all, would you say you are regarding your own weight and body image?’

The analysis broke down responses by location, age, and gender to find out which demographics were more likely to suffer from issues related to their body image. While some results were as expected, some demographic responses came as a surprise.

People in London were the happiest with their body image and weight, with a total of 58% falling into the fairly or very happy categories. The south of England outside of London placed second, with 51% responding positively, which meant that only areas in the south of the country reported over 50% being happy with their weight and body image.

Wales had the highest percentage of negative responses, with a 56% response rate for either fairly or very unhappy.

When responses were split between men and women, men reported a positive response (fairly happy, or very happy) 54% of the time, while the same percentage of women reported a negative response (fairly unhappy or very unhappy).

“Women reporting a higher rate of dissatisfaction was to be expected, given the well-known societal pressures placed upon them, but it’s important to remember that 43% of men also reported the same unhappiness. This shows us that although there is still a higher bias on women, men still suffer from body image phenomena like the ‘superhero standard’ promoted on screen” said Marc Frossman from Elanic Medical.

When considering age as a factor, however, the results strayed from the common perception that people become less satisfied as they age.

The 65+ age group reported the highest level of happiness overall, with 57% responding positively to the survey. Although the 50-64 age bracket reported the highest level of unhappiness, their rate of 53% was only slightly higher than the response for the 25-49 age group’s negative response rate of 52%.

“The accepted wisdom is that as people age, they become less satisfied with their bodies, but what we’re seeing here is that in the 65+ age group at least, people seem to have more of a sense of acceptance and happiness within themselves as they get older.”

“The survey results show that negative feelings about your body and your weight aren’t unique to one demographic. It’s also worth remembering that being conscious of your weight doesn’t need to be negative. If you’re concerned and want to make a change, then there are lots of things you can do.”

“Losing weight can be as simple as making some healthy adjustments to your diet and becoming more active in your day-to-day life. For others, it might require a more focused effort, and in some cases, you may need to take advantage of procedures and processes that can help jumpstart a weight loss journey.

“The key, however, is to understand that losing weight when it has become an issue is simply a method of improving your health, which should be the long-term goal. If your only aim is to focus on seeing the number on the scale reduce, then you may find it hard to maintain your efforts.

“Set yourself achievable goals which you can adjust over time to see lasting change, leading to better health outcomes in the long term.”