New figures from the Government Equalities Office show that one in five primary school age girls say they have been on a diet, while 87% of girls aged 11-21 think that women are judged more on their appearance than on their ability. Poor body image among girls has also been associated with low participation in sport. The research shows that 23% of girls aged 7-21 don't participate in exercise because they are unhappy with their body image, and 48% of girls think getting sweaty from taking part in sports is unfeminine. There is also new insight into the long-term consequences of poor body image among young girls, which is associated with lower confidence, lower aspirations and lower social participation. Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said: ‘We absolutely need to make sure that children have resilience to deal with the world around them.’