Love Island blamed for increasing body image issues in teen boys
We've all noticed how Love Island has produced some pretty unrealistic body standards, but most of the time our focus is on the women.
Each woman on the show is noticeably slim, and young girls have low self-esteem issues as it is without seeing the exact same physique on every TV channel.
What the focus hasn't always been on is the problem with muscular men and the lack of 'dad bods' in sight. The reality show is now being blamed for giving young boys body image issues too.
Stereotypically 'perfect' bodies on the show has led many to feel that only this type of body will be able to find love, or even lust. It's a hugely damaging notion that's being perpetuated/
According to analysts from the Children’s Society, boys are catching up with girls in the numbers of them suffering from low confidence and self-esteem.
Its annual 'Good Childhood' report revealed that over 200,000 children in the UK alone are unhappy with their lives as a whole, with looks playing a large role in their moods.
Shockingly, one-in-12 boys aged 10 to 15 are unhappy with their appearance.
Richard Crellin, policy and research manager in mental health and wellbeing at the Children’s Society, told The Times:
"They talked a lot about the pressure to go the gym and have a great body. They talked about the men they see on social media and Love Island … about how people are always working out on that show."
One teen in the report said he felt pressure to live up to the built men he watched on TV "You see all these models, you see all these weightlifters, body-builders, and you look at yourself and you're like, 'I look like a stick.'
"I feel like we’re exposed to a lot more so we are less secure about our appearance."
Love Island bosses vetoed having plus-sized Islanders, causing frustration among fans and body activists alike.
Speaking to The Sun, the show's boss Richard Cowles said: “We try and be as representative and diverse as possible but first and foremost it’s an entertainment show.
"It’s about people wanting to watch and them reacting and falling in love with another. Yes, we want to be as representative as possible but we also want them to be attracted to one another."
This basically implies that plus-sized people won't attract any other contestants, so that comment didn't exactly go down well…
Feature image: ITV/REX
