Girls as young as age 5 are unhappy with their bodies - many wanting to b be thinner, an Australian study found.
The Flinders University study of 81 girls found 47 percent wanted to be thinner and 46 percent said they would go on a diet if they gained weight.
Most girls thought that being slim would make them more popular, according to the study in British Journal of Developmental Psychology.
The U.K. Eating Disorders Association said children age 8 and younger have been diagnosed with eating disorders, reported the Daily Telegraph.
"Low self-esteem is a major contributory factor of eating disorders, although media images, peer pressure and family situations can also affect people," said a EDA spokesman. "We are concerned, but not surprised, that school children as young as six are affected by them."
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