Gen Z’s Body Image Crisis: 40+ Alarming Statistics Behind Britain’s Mental Health Emergency

Rosa Matthews
Jun 16
5 min read

Gen Z isn’t just worried about what comes next—they’re already under immense pressure just trying to get through the day. As 2025 unfolds, the data paints a bleak picture: young people in the UK, aged 13 to 28, are dealing with mounting anxieties around body image that are seriously affecting their mental health.

The Generation Under Pressure

Let’s start with who we’re talking about. Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—are often called digitally native, socially conscious, and forward-thinking. But that doesn’t shield them from the strain they’re under. Right now, 19% hold decision-making roles at work (up from 15% last year), 45% have gotten married, and 23% have had children since 2024.

On the surface, they seem to be stepping confidently into adult life. But beneath the surface, many are battling invisible storms. Around 28% show signs of anxiety—the highest recorded for any generation. Social media, which was supposed to make people feel more connected, is stressing out 18% of them. The cost of living is top of mind for 34%, while 19% say mental health is their biggest concern.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, reports of mental health conditions among Gen Z have jumped 25% since 2020. And even though 59% are trying to save more money this year, financial planning can only go so far when your emotional bandwidth is running low.

The Body Image Crisis in Numbers

We’re not just talking about people who don’t like how they look in a selfie. Among teens aged 13 to 19, 37% say they feel upset about their appearance. Another 31% feel outright shame. That’s not just low self-esteem—that’s persistent emotional distress.

Older members of Gen Z aren’t spared either. The Mental Health Foundation found that 34% have felt anxious because of their body image, 35% have experienced depression, and 34% said they’d felt low in the past year due to how they view themselves.

Most hauntingly, 13% of adults have had suicidal thoughts directly tied to body image concerns. This is not a superficial issue—it can be a matter of life or death.

The Gender Divide

The impact of body image issues isn’t felt equally. Girls and young women are facing disproportionate pressure. Nearly 46% of girls aged 13–19 worry often or always about their looks, compared to just 25% of boys.

When it comes to eating disorders, the gap is even more dramatic. Among 11–16 year olds, 4.3% of girls are affected, versus 1% of boys. For those aged 17–19, it’s 20.8% of young women, compared to 5.1% of young men.

The Eating Disorder Epidemic

The numbers coming out of NHS Digital are staggering. Among children aged 11–16, 12.3% now screen positive for possible eating issues. That figure leaps to 59.4% for 17–19 year olds and remains high at 57.2% for 20–25 year olds.

Diagnosed eating disorders are climbing too. For 17–19 year olds, the rate jumped from 0.8% in 2017 to 12.5% in 2023. For 11–16 year olds, it more than doubled—from 1% to 2.6%.

The emotional toll runs deep. NHS figures show 64.7% of young women aged 17–19 believe they’re fat, even when others see them as thin. Over half blame themselves for eating too much, and nearly half say food-related stress disrupts their daily lives. The stats for boys are significantly lower.

Even more troubling: the rate of self-induced vomiting in 17–19 year olds rose from 7.3% in 2017 to 14.5% in 2023.

The Digital Influence

It’s impossible to ignore the role of social media in all this. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 40% of teenagers say social media makes them worry about their appearance. That number rises to 54% for girls. Among adults, 22% say social media plays a role in their body image issues.

Dove’s research shows 9 in 10 women and girls have come across harmful beauty content online. Half of them say it negatively affects their self-esteem. Two-thirds of US teen girls now spend more time on social media than talking to their friends in person.

Traditional media isn’t helping much either. 21% of adults say advertising images worsen their body image, while 25% of young people are affected by celebrity content and 19% by television shows.

The Economic Reality

The fallout goes beyond feelings. It’s costing money—a lot of it. Over one in five children and young people in England now have a diagnosable mental health condition. That’s nearly double what was reported in 2017, according to the UK Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan.

The NHS is currently only able to support around 40% of those in need. That gap is costing the UK economy an estimated £295 million a year. If left unaddressed, it could snowball into £1 trillion in lost earnings across Gen Z’s lifetime.

The Response Gap

Initiatives like the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which has reached over 114 million young people, are a start. But they’re nowhere near enough.

NHS Digital data shows that urgent eating disorder referrals have doubled since the pandemic. Still, waiting times are falling short of the 95% target. Meanwhile, the use of acute mental health beds among young people has risen 65%.

What Needs to Change

Awareness helps—but it’s not a solution. Real change starts in schools, where media literacy should be mandatory. Public health messaging needs to shift away from shame and toward empowerment. And as a society, we need to stop framing appearance as a measure of worth.

According to the Government’s own mental health strategy, the goal is to meet 70% of diagnosable need. That means putting at least £167 million into services starting in 2025/26. Anything less isn’t enough.

The Bottom Line

These aren’t just statistics. They’re stories of young people feeling overwhelmed, unseen, and unworthy. The Mental Health Foundation reports that 2 in 5 women would give up a year of their life just to have the “perfect” body. Women are also twice as likely as men to say they’d rather be beautiful than intelligent.

That’s a sign that something is deeply wrong. Gen Z deserves better. They deserve a world where value isn’t skin-deep, where social media doesn’t fuel shame, and where support is there when they need it—not months down the line.

The time to act isn’t tomorrow. It’s right now.