Some 20 percent of young people under 18 are unhappy with their bodies, and one in nine say they hate the sight that meets them when they look at themselves naked in the mirror, according to a survey by Sexlinien, a telephone and advisory service for young people.

“That tallies with what we hear during our sex education sessions,” says service organisers Sex & Samfund National Leader Marianne Lomholt in a news release.

“We get a lot of questions about the body in which young people write and call in because they are unsure as to whether their bodies are normal or good enough. This clearly shows that young people are under a lot of pressure from among others the media, the film and music businesses about what an ideal body should look like. Many have a very idealised view of the body,” she adds.

Campaign
The organisation has chosen the body as the main theme for its annual campaign this week, in order to provide more nuanced and realistic body appreciation for 119,000 pupils from the 6-10 grade.

With a theme of ‘Your body – your life – your choice’ the organisation questions some of the attitudes as to what a body should look like.

Tummy and hair
Among other things, young people are said to be unhappy with their tummies and hair.

“Tummies and weight are not surprising issues. But it is worth noting that hair, and the shape and appearance of genital organs, are a problem for so many. This is clearly a result of the pornography business,” says Lomholt.

She says that surveys have shown that almost all young people see pornographic productions and that bodies are shown in a definitive and idealised way.

“Among other things, most porn models are shaved, so there is major focus on genital appearance. Also, male porn model genitals are mostly bigger than average,” she says.