Did you know that for 89% of women, at least one part of their body makes them feel insecure after the age of 50? This startling revelation comes from a study conducted by IFOP/Humasana, surveying 1004 French women over 50 – on the occasion of World Menopause Day on October 18th. It’s a concerning insight into self-acceptance.
Even worse, as reported by Version Femina, 93% of the women surveyed “don’t find themselves beautiful,” and a whopping 99% of them are “afraid of aging.”
Which areas of the body do women feel insecure about?
For 75% of the women surveyed, there’s a specific area of their body that tends to make them feel insecure. Can you guess the body part that’s common for women’s insecurities? It’s the belly!
The survey revealed that the higher a woman’s body mass index (BMI), the greater the insecurity. For 84% of obese women, the insecurity is present, for 64% of thin women, it’s also there, and for women with a normal BMI, 68% felt insecure about this area. The report also noted that “63% of French women over 50 wanted to ‘preserve this part from aging.'”
Among the other body areas that women feel insecure about, we find:
Arms: 64%
Face: 61%
Thighs: 52%
Breasts: 50%
Neck: 49%
Chest: 47%
Buttocks: 42%
Legs: 42%
The Dictates of Thinness: The Culprits?
A surprising observation? Not really.
For years, a woman’s body has been subjected to the dictates of thinness and an ultra-flat belly. Whether through advertising campaigns, in magazines, or in films, a woman’s body is subject to societal pressures.
Fortunately, the trend is evolving, and many brands are highlighting natural women who are truly representative of the female population to combat women’s insecurities. Despite the rise of the “body positive” movement, the majority of women still feel insecure about their bodies, regardless of age.
