Breaking News English

A survey English schoolchildren shows boys and girls are worrying the way they look. The study found that half male schoolchildren lacked confidence because their body shape. The figure girls was slightly higher, 59 per cent. Researchers questioned 693 teachers how their students felt their bodies. All the children had taken lessons body image and self-esteem. Teachers said many children were very upset if others said bad things their appearance. Around 55 per cent teachers reported that girls were "ultra-sensitive" comments about their looks; the figure for boys being easily hurt by taunts or teasing was 27 per cent.

Teachers gave a number reasons why children as young as four years old are stressing about their shape. Over 90 per cent teachers blame the Internet and television. Children see images "perfect" bodies every day and they feel they have to look that way too. Almost 30 per cent teachers said their female students used sunbeds or sprays to look suntanned. Many children are diets to make themselves attractive to the opposite sex. One elementary school teacher said: "I work four to five-year-olds and some say things like, 'I can't eat cheese, it will make me fat'". A teachers' spokeswoman warned that children trying to look like "airbrushed celebrities the media only leads to misery".