New research has uncovered that body image remains a major concern for young people, with nearly three quarters of 16-30 year olds confirming that they regularly do not feel self-confident.
The rise of young people ‘self-bullying’ was shown in the results of the nationwide research, which discovered that 60% of young people cite being unhappy with their bodies as the main reason for low self-confidence and self-belief.
This was compared to only 30% who said that their self-esteem had been knocked by external factors such as bullying.
One third of people surveyed also stated that they had not got a job because of low self esteem causing them to perform badly in an interview.
The research also showed that the recession has clearly had a dramatic impact on the attitudes of young people, as career development, job security and money all came in higher than green issues as a point of concern.
Only 20% of 16-30 year olds were worried about the planet. 90% of people also said that they spend time worrying about the future.
The results were today revealed by Kelly Osbourne, who has been signed up by self tanning brand St. Tropez as an ambassador for self-esteem issues affecting young people in the UK. The UK wide research was commissioned by St. Tropez in collaboration with youth charity The Prince’s Trust.
Kelly commented: "It really saddens me that so many young people suffer from low self esteem and feel unhappy with their appearance. I think that at times we can be very hard on ourselves, which is certainly something I have experienced in my own life.
"I managed to overcome those negative thoughts by being healthy, thinking positively and making small changes to my lifestyle that make me feel good about myself, such as taking more exercise and being true to yourself.
"Dancing With The Stars and having my first ever St. Tropez spray tan was a huge confidence booster for me - it helped me to get fit and allowed me to look and feel beautiful from the outside, in.
"More over it also helped me to see that I can achieve anything I put my mind to, which was a huge accomplishment for me - I've never really been able to finish something I've started, and to do so feels amazing."
Kelly Osbourne has been an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust for three years and believes passionately in The Trust’s work, helping young people overcome issues such as depression, drug addiction and long-term unemployment.
St. Tropez has worked in partnership with The Prince’s Trust for more than two years, already raising over £100,000 to tackle low self-esteem amongst young people by giving them confidence and job skills.
In fact, the issue of appearance united the male and female camps as the results showed that how you feel about your appearance directly correlates with your level of self esteem.
Nearly three quarters of girls admitted that healthy, glowing skin is a key influence on their self confidence and more than 60% of women feel more confident when they know they are looking good.
Michelle Feeney said: "There is more pressure on young people now than ever before and this is dramatically affecting their self-esteem.
"The issue of boosting self confidence and supporting young people is something that we as a brand places huge importance on and we are delighted to continue to be closely involved with the work that The Prince’s Trust does to change young lives."
Youth charity, The Prince’s Trust has helped more than 600,000 young people since 1976 and supports 100 more each working day. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation.
It works with 14- to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.
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