Young Danes feel insecure about their bodies

A third fear having to get their clothes off in the showers or at the beach

Every third young Dane is averse to showing their bodies to others, according to a new YouGov survey on behalf of Metroxpress newspaper.

The survey showed that about one third of Danes aged 18-29 didn’t like to shower in front of other people at the swimming pool, fitness centre or after a sports game.

“It’s a big problem, because more and more people feel that way,” Jan Toftegaard Støckl, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark, told Metroxpress.

“They feel like their bodies should be perfect, well-trained and beautiful. And if they don’t think they are, they feel shame and embarrassment, and the obvious move is to cover up.”

READ MORE: Young Danes avoiding the dentist

Oldies, but goodies
The survey also revealed that about one third of young Danes said they didn’t want to show off their bodies at the beach during the summer, and one fifth said they avoided the beach all together as a result.

Meanwhile, older Danes seem to care less about the state of their bodies, or what other people’s opinions are.

Just 13 percent of Danes aged 50-59 said they didn’t want to show off their bodies at the beach during the summer.

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