High self-esteem is key to women's mental health

Platform 51 works with girls and women across the UK to build up their self-esteem and help them campaign on body image issues. We welcome yesterday's all-party parliamentary group report on body image and self-esteem (Girls of five fret over weight, 30 May). As a charity representing girls and women, we know through our work and research that self-esteem issues are the most prevalent low-level mental health problem among women, with more than 60% affected – the figure rises to a shocking 80% among 18- to 24-year-olds. But while body image is important, it is only one of the things that affects self-esteem. So we help women gain confidence in their parenting skills, jobs, relationships and ability to meet their aspirations, working with them to take control of all aspects of their lives, not just what they eat and how they look. We and other similar groups welcome a chance to continue the work begun by the APPG and help the government tackle all aspects of low self-esteem.