From a survey commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation
Their survey suggests that concerns about body image are making large numbers of people depressed and suicidal.
The poll of 4,500 adults found a third had felt anxious about their bodies, with one in eight experiencing suicidal thoughts. The Mental Health Foundation which commissioned the survey, said the issue could affect anyone at any age.
The charity wants advertising and social media firms to take more care with the way bodies are portrayed. The issue of body image is one of the main theme’s of this year’s Mental Health Awareness week. The charity is promoting a number of personal stories as part of its push to raise awareness about the issue.
They include one from Justyn Bravescar, 25, from Croydon, south London.
He is a film-maker, blogger and mental health advocate, and has adopted Bravescar as his surname. As a toddler he accidentally poured a pan of boiling water over his body, resulting in severe burns all over the upper half of his body, including his neck. He was always very self-conscience about this and thought he would never find love or be at peace with himself.
When he was older he started looking into reconstructive surgery, but said he had an epiphany when a skin camouflage tattoo artist told him that his scars were beautiful.
“As my scars were covered much of the time, it was very much an internal battle for me” said Justyn. “I worried about my scarring and what people would think. It has only been in the last few weeks that I have really accepted them. They are part of me.”
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