Peak body satisfaction comes later in life. What does that tell us?

Men and women are happiest with their bodies after reaching the age of 60, a study has found.

Satisfaction with size, shape and appearance gradually increases as people age, with our latter years characterised by the highest levels of self-assurance, according to data from more than 15,000 people.

While women aged between 19 and 24 were prone to being unhappy with their bodies, they were much more content with how they looked when they reached 60. Similarly, men suffered a dip in self-confidence between the ages of 29 and 34 and from 44 to 49.

But their self-esteem began to rise as they approached their 60th birthday and continued to increase afterwards.

Attitudes towards beauty ideals are at the crux of our changing perception of how good we look during our lifetime, the researchers found.

Pressure on men and women to achieve the perfect body is thought to be behind their dips in self-confidence. This pressure and its impact on their self-esteem dissipates when they mature, as they start to see their health as more important than how they look.

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“These results are also consistent with theoretical work suggesting that women place less importance on evaluating the appearance of their bodies as they age, and that older adults may value body function over body appearance,” the study said. “Similarly to their female peers, ageing men may value body functionality over body appearance, which in turn may buffer against appearance dissatisfaction.”

Rapidly evolving beauty ideals mean it is difficult for women to feel content with their appearance when they are younger, the study said.