British women too scared to wear bikins

August 13, 2008
EIGHT out of 10 British women won't wear bikinis because they are afraid they will look awful, researchers claimed yesterday.

And young women are less likely to pull on a two-piece - with just one in 10 of the 18 to 24-year-olds feeling confident enough.

Actress Denise Van Outen said women should get over their fears.

She added: "It's really sad that the younger generation feel too self-conscious to wear a bikini.

"I am a normal woman and have no desire to be a size zero but I really sympathise with these women who want to stay covered up on the beach.

"There is so much pressure for women to slim down and look perfect before they bare all in a bikini. Every woman I know has issues with some part of her body.

"I do think you become more comfortable with yourself as you get older - but that doesn't mean you feel 100 per cent happy with your body in a bikini."

The survey showed older women were less self-conscious about their beach body, perhaps driven on by 62-year-old actress Helen Mirren's stunning appearance in a red bikini in last Wednesday's Record.

Half of the women polled would only wear one of the tiny swimsuits if it didn't make them look fat.

Almost half diet before going on holiday and one in five takes up exercise.

Meanwhile, one in four would consider cosmetic surgery just so they could show off their figure.

One in four women owns at least three bikinis - even if they stay in their suitcase.

And the same proportion owns 10 bikinis or more.

Del Monte Ice Creams' poll of 1000 women found Kelly Brook was the lady they most wanted to look like in a bikini.

A spokesman for the firm said: "Women should be able to enjoy wearing their swimwear whatever they look like."

Source: www.mini-bikini.net

Sex research archive

Sex research friends