Discussing Body Image Is Off Limits For Mothers And Daughters

New research from beauty brand Dove reveals that body image and appearance are taboo topics for the majority of British mothers and daughters. As many as 65% of nine to 16 year old girls say they hide their feelings about their appearance from their mums and 57% say they find it difficult talking to their mums about their body.

The research also revealed that plastic surgery, dieting, and emulating the appearance of celebrities are causing arguments between mothers and daughters. One in ten girls argued with their mother by the age of 14 about wanting to have plastic surgery, a further 10% have fallen out over wanting to look like a celebrity and 27% have disagreed about dieting.

Mums also admit to feeling uncomfortable discussing body image and appearance with their daughters. While 98% believe it is important to talk freely about body image, in reality over one in ten mothers find it easier to tackle subjects like drugs, boyfriends and pregnancies than their daughter's body image. Girls agree, with 42% believing their mother is uncomfortable discussing their appearance with them.

In response, Dove has produced a Mothers and Daughters booklet authored by psychotherapist Dr Susie Orbach, to give mothers practical advice and information on how to broach issues relating to body image and appearance with their children. The booklet is intended to help mothers promote a more positive and wide ranging definition of beauty in the next generation of women.

Dove is also working with celebrity mum Sheree Murphy who is lending her support to the campaign and calling for mums to help combat feelings of low self-esteem among their daughters. Sheree says, "More than ever young women are growing up feeling dissatisfied with the way they look. As a mum myself, I understand how worrying it can be to see young girls being so unhappy with their bodies. My daughter is very young but in the future it is something I will worry about, as it can be very difficult to know how to initiate a conversation about body image with our daughters. However, the good news is that mothers can have a really positive influence on our daughter's self-esteem. The work Dove is doing to help mums inspire their daughters to feel better about their bodies is invaluable for mums."

The other findings of the survey are:

• Girls find it hard to talk to their mums about their appearance.
• Almost one fifth of girls (18%) say they have never discussed body image with their mums and a further 39% say they rarely discuss it because they feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.
• Mums worry that they pass on their body insecurities to their daughters.
• 43% of mothers believe that their own attitude to their body has an impact on their daughters' body
• More than half of British girls believe their mum is unhappy with her own appearance.
• Mums transfer negative body image to their daughters.
• The research suggests that mothers who are happy with their bodies are more likely to have daughters who are happy with their bodies too. 67% of girls who say they are content with their appearance think their mother is content with her body. In comparison, only 30% of girls who are discontent with the way they look think their mothers have a positive body attitude.

Dr Susie Orbach says 'In today's image obsessed society, girls have a very different relationship with, and attitude to their body than their mothers did when they were growing up. It's hard for mums to understand the enormity of the cultural shift that has taken place where girls grow up under inordinate pressure to be 'perfect'. However it is clear how crucial mothers are in influencing their daughter's feelings about beauty and body image, and how mothers want to play a role in influencing their daughters positively without passing on their own insecurities."

The creation of the Dove Mothers & Daughters booklet is part of the ongoing Dove Campaign for Real Beauty which aims to widen the definition of beauty in society and inspire women and young girls to feel better about their bodies. The booklet is available to download via the website www.campaignforrealbeauty.co.uk or you can request a copy via the Dove Careline by calling 0800 085 1548.

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