Half of six-year-old girls 'want to be thinner'

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Study by the University of Cambridge claims half of Britain's six-year-old girls 'want to be thinner'

The study was undertaken for a new TV programme Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance which will aired on the UKs Channel 4 on Tuesday.

In the study 6-year-old girls were asked to ring their ideal body shape from a range of different body shapes. Over half chose the thinnest possible - in general this was 3 sizes smaller than their own shape.

The study raises interesting parallels as recent reports have highlighted a growing obesity problem amongst UK children.

The mental health of UK children has been reported as being amongst the poorest in Europe especially around self-esteem and emotional wellbeing and the results of this study are worrying in that girls of such a young age are already showing dissatisfaction with how they look.

It is thought that some of this dissatisfaction might come from their exposure to airbrushed images of size zero models and celebrities on TV and in women’s and girls’ magazines.

Last week Tory Party leader David Cameron announced plans to tackle companies that aggressively market to and sexualise children that he says a Tory Government would put into place should they win the forthcoming general election.

Whatever the reasons behind the results of this study it highlights the need for young people and their families to understand the benefits of healthy living and just exactly what normal healthy weight for size means.

first crocus

the colour not quite

what she wanted

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Presenter  of Extreme Parenting Guidance, Jo Frost, is the self-styled Supernanny of the ABC / CH4 show of the same name.