Survey on beauty standards

Notes

• A survey of 104 women across 13 countries indicates that beauty standards create a constant sense of being observed and measured.
• 83% of surveyed women experienced unsolicited remarks on their bodies from family members, leading to mental health issues including depression and eating disorders.
• Media representation is perceived as 'othered' or 'sanitised', often shifting based on fashion trends (e.g., Y2K trends favouring smaller body types).
• 52% of respondents reported feeling hesitant to eat in public due to societal pressure.
• 98% of participants witnessed harassment of mid-to-plus-size women online, while 92% observed bullying of petite women.
• 88% of respondents feel overwhelmed by online beauty standards, citing the difficulty of balancing professional/domestic life with aesthetic expectations.
• 86% of participants find weight-management information contradictory, noting that historical fitness research has been male-centric.
• The survey highlights a structural failure in media, medicine, and digital platforms, which profit from women's self-doubt and dissatisfaction.