Some 55% of Dutch women are body positive

Some 55 percent of women in the Netherlands are proud of their appearance, according to a survey by LINDA among nearly 13 thousand women. A third said that the body positivity movement helped them to feel better about themselves. Only 4 percent said that the movement decreased their self-confidence.

When it comes to being proud of their body, age does not seem to be much of a factor. 58 percent of women in the age group 18 to 30 years said they are proud of their appearance, as did 55 percent of women over the age of 30. 66 percent of women scored their body a 7 or 8 out of 10, also largely regardless of age. Only 8 percent of women gave their appearance a 5 or lower.

54 percent of respondents described their bodies as "okay", 26 percent said "beautiful" and 20 percent said they don't like their bodies. Here age does seem to play a role, with 22 percent of women over the age of 30 not liking their body and 11 percent of 18 to 30 year old. Main complaints are belly fat (74 percent), thighs (43 percent) and cellulite (27 percent).

When asked about their best qualities, 88 percent of women said they are nice, 85 percent consider themselves reliable, and 65 percent said they are intelligent. Only 29 percent ticked the box next to "I'm pretty".