Lockdown Loss: Over a Quarter of Brits Lost Body Confidence During First Lockdown

Over a third of Brits (36%) say they are concerned about what impact a second lockdown could have on the way they feel about themselves and their appearance, a new report from Transform has shown. 

Over a quarter of Brits (26%) saw their body confidence fall when the first lockdown restrictions were put in place on 23^rd March, with one in 12 (8%) claiming to have significantly lost confidence in their appearance. A third of Brits are now concerned that their confidence will fall again, possibly leading to longer-term consequences.  

Twice as many women than men had lost body confidence during the first lockdown (34% vs 17%). Millennials (25-34s) were also significantly affected, with a third (34%) reporting a loss of body confidence – more than any other age group. 

The research showed that this drop in body confidence impacted on people’s day-to-day lives, stopping them from: 

1.       Buying new clothes (48%) 

2.       Posting pictures on social media (33%) 

3.       Following their usual self-care routine (29%) 

4.       Going out with friends – when permitted (27%) 

5.       Tackling everyday tasks (25%) 

Over a quarter (25%) claim a drop in body confidence impacted their ability to complete everyday tasks, while one in five (21%) say it has stopped them from leaving the house (when permitted).  

It is also affecting people’s work, with 23% of people now keeping their camera off during work calls, and one in 10 (10%) believing that reduced confidence in their appearance has impacted their ability to do well in work.  

The main causes of a loss of body confidence included: 

1.       Weight gain (64%) 

2.       Putting less effort into appearance (44%) 

3.       Not eating as healthy (23%) 

4.       Loss of muscle tone/definition (23%) 

5.       Having to wear a mask regularly (22%) 

More than one in ten (11%) say they had lost confidence due to skin issues caused by wearing a mask regularly, and one in five (20%) believe seeing themselves regularly on video calls has led to them feeling worse about their appearance.  

The cities where the most residents reported a drop in body confidence included:  

1.       Wrexham (57%) 

2.       Middlesbrough (50%) 

3.       Southampton (44%) and Gloucester (44%) 

4.       Belfast (40%) 

5.       Leicester (38%)