Almost three-quarters of a million girls are unhappy with their looks and more than a quarter of a million are distressed about their overall lives, according to the annual Good Childhood Report. The number of 10- to 15-year-old girls who said their appearance makes them uncomfortable has reached 700,000 – more than a third of the total number of children surveyed. The survey, conducted by the Children’s Society and the University of York for the past decade, also reveals that one in seven girls (283,000) aged 10 to 15 suffers from low mood and distress. This figure is up 21% from 2011. The number of girls citing their appearance as a reason for unhappiness has gone up by 8% over the past five years. The number of boys unhappy with their lives has remained constant (11%). Girls told researchers that boys were responsible for verbal abuse and criticism of their looks.