The Body Confidence Test looks set to be one of the biggest body image studies ever to have been conducted in the UK. The Centre for Appearance Research are already looking to publish these findings in some leading academic journals.
To date, we've had over 58,500 responses to the test, with a high probability that it'll top 60,000 after the final show goes out.
The purpose of this research is to explore how British adults feel about their appearance and body image. The research also investigates the influence of the media, family and friends on people's body image. Public input into the test will contribute to valuable scientific research which has the potential to help thousands of people with appearance-related concerns in the UK and beyond.
We talked to Phillippa Diedrichs at the Centre to get her reaction to the phenomenal response we've had to the test. As a Research Fellow at The Centre for Appearance Research, Phillippa's role involves leading a programme of research that is focused on developing strategies which aim to create an environment that values diversity in appearance.
How do you feel about the public response to the Body Confidence Test?
I think the public response to the test has been fantastic and the data that we've gathered is going to be really useful from a research perspective. The fact that tens of thousands of people have taken part in this Channel 4 survey really highlights how body image and appearance concerns are still big issues for people in the UK.
How will the research data be used to make a difference?
The data will be used to give a snapshot of current body image concerns in the UK, helping us to identify the appearance-related issues experienced by men and women from a range of ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. This will be invaluable, not only for developing new resources and programmes to help people living with appearance-related conditions, but also for campaigning around body image issues and raising awareness about the need for continued investment in this important field.
What sort of impact do you think this research could have?
This is already shaping up to be one of the biggest studies of its kind ever to be conducted in the UK in terms of the number of participants so I think there is the potential to generate a lot of interest. We're planning to publish our findings in internationally-recognised journals and at academic conferences and, of course, the results will be used to update CAR's existing statistical data on body image issues.
How do you think the 'Beauty and the Beast' TV series has impacted on raising awareness of appearance-related issues?
I think that the show has been pretty positive on the whole and that its central message that you can't always judge a person's character or experiences purely on the way they look is hugely important. What the TV series attempted to do is to dispel some of the myths around all visibly different people being shy or socially awkward. The participants with appearance-related conditions who appeared on 'Beauty and the Beast' really showed that some people can be happy, confident and well adjusted, even if they look different to other people.
