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As the festive season gets into full swing, a new study has revealed how low-self esteem stops women from attending Christmas parties because they feel "fat".
New figures show that almost three quarters of British women have turned down an event invitation despite being able to attend, with over half of those blaming a “fat day.”
A survey of 2,139 women in the UK by vouchercloud.com was conducted as part of ongoing research into attitudes towards Christmas and the party seasons.
The women who took part in the study were asked about how they prepare for a Christmas event.
Some 51 per cent said that they had avoided going to an event because they were having a “fat day”.
The term describes when a person feels self-conscious about how others will regard their weight and appearance, and whether they live up to conventional beauty standards.
Leading mental health charity Rething Mental Illness warned that such feelings could be linked to underlying anxiety.
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Brian Dow, Director of External Affairs at Rethink Mental Illness told The Independent : “We all experience feelings of anxiety, worry and fear from time to time. These are normal responses to certain situations. But if you have an anxiety disorder, these feelings are more noticeable and difficult to live with.
“They can make you feel as though things are worse than they might actually be, and can lead to you worrying all or most of the time and affect your day to day life.
“Turning down the odd invitation isn’t a cause for concern, and the Christmas party season isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but if you’re increasingly retreating from social events because of negative thoughts about the way you look, for example, then it could be something more serious.”
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