Irish people’s body confidence is among the worst in the world, an international survey has revealed. 

Body confidence is the degree to which people feel “love and respect for their body” and Anglia Ruskin University set out to measure how people in different countries compare.

“We already know that people who have more positive body image are more likely to have more positive psychological wellbeing in general,” Professor Viren Swami told Moncrieff.

“What we wanted to do in this particular study was see whether that theory would fit across a large number of countries; so, our survey went out to participants in 65 different countries.”

Ireland came fourth from the bottom - only Britain, India and Australia did worse.

Topping the table were Malta, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan.

Tourists and locals at El Postiguet Beach in Alicante, Spain on July 9th, 2023 as temperatures reached as high as 45° Celsius in some areas. Picture by: Marcos del Mazo / Alamy Stock Photo

Professor Swarmi said it is noticeable that the top 10 is dominated by people who live in poorer countries.

“In these societies, there may be greater pressure to focus on what the body looks like, rather than what the body is able to do for you,” he said.

“So, for example, people who are so focused on the aesthetics of their body are less likely to develop body appreciation.”

For those looking to improve their body confidence, Professor Swarmi said one simple way to do so is to get out and about as much as possible.

“When you spend time in nature, you’re disengaging from a society that increasingly tells you that you have to look a certain way to be considered beautiful or to be accepted as even human,” he said.

“The other thing that we think might be happening is that when you spend time in nature, you’re being physically active, you’re using your body and you’re focused on what your body is able to do for you - rather than what it looks like.”

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Main image: Couple on the beach. Picture by: Alamy.com