A recent study in the UK by the organization Girlguiding found that girls’ attitudes about themselves are even more based on appearance then they were five years ago. In the age group 11 to 20, 80% felt their looks were the most important thing about them and 93% agreed women were judged more on appearance than ability.
Quoted in an article on bbc.com, Girlguiding director Becky Hewitt said, “Every day in guiding, girls inspire us with their bravery, sense of adventure and their kindness. We are calling on everyone to show girls that they are valued for who they are — not what they look like.”
Even younger girls, age 7 to 11 were found to “face intense and unobtainable appearance pressures to be perfect.”
In the 2016 Girls Attitudes Survey, just 61% of 1,627 seven- to 21-year-old girls polled felt happy about their bodies, down from 73% in 2011.