to resent British 'body issues'

[Huppopapa]

Holidaying in a thermal spa in Poland, I've noticed that no-one - absolutely no-one - feels the need to disguise what their bodies look like. Yes there are sleek young women and toned young men in profusion but it didn't take long for us to realise that they were no more showing off than anyone else. Because in fact no-one was showing off: they were just having a swim or a sunbathe.
We have seen several women breastfeeding - and to paraphrase Pope Francis, why the Hell shouldn't we - and I can't remember the last time in the UK I have been in a swimming pool with people with physical disabilities. Three people with dwarfism weren't merely having a therapeutic dip, but joining in with everyone else on the slides and other play equipment. I can hear the British teeth-sucking from here.
We went to a luxury Greek resort run by a British company in 2015 and the staff, as a joke, would parp a horn if a man wore Speedos on the beach. It seemed mildly amusing at the time but in truth it's just another example of us as a nation telling other people how they should behave.
I have two daughters so feel that I at a state of constant vigilance not to allow them to become obsessed with their appearance. The experience of me being here makes me wonder whether the problem is their knowledge that other British people are obsessed with their appearance. I do wish people would just buzz off and leave them alone to do whatever they wish to do, dressed however they like.

sorry on my phone "disabled soldiers"
certainly not what the OP reports,which she twisted to make back up her own views.

Thanks Bruffin.

Odd that op plucked a story out to back her view, implied personal experience of it but was wrong.

I get fed up with these 'it's different and better abroad' posts. It's just such bollocks - ALL countries have their problems and difficulties - there is no El Dorado. And you will make yourself really unhappy if you constantly believe the grass is greener elsewhere.

I think it's plausible that warmer countries have less of an issue with public displays of nudity than we do. We are culturally quite prudish and of course it's freezing for most of the year so it's much rarer for us to get our flesh out. However, that's not the same as having no issues with body image.

Again, a slightly different issue, but you are most likely aware of Poland's political landscape. Body image issues or no body image issues, I refuse to believe that it's a better place to be a young woman than the UK - given that the government is obsessed with controlling what women do with their bodies.

All countries have their problems but they are more relaxed about discrete nudity in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Scandinavia. The British for all their wonderfulness are so damn prudish - reference about a thousand threads on here about people "flaunting" themselves by getting changed in a changing room, or wearing Speedos.

Frankly I am not sure that the UK is that bad. I remember coming to live in London, and thinking that women were much less complexed than french women regarding party wear and authorizing themselves to wear sexy or revealing clothes even without the Perfect Body. I also just went to Notting Hill Carnival and people of any shapes and weight were letting loose and dressed as they wanted. I found it quite refreshing.
In France, people are more self conscious on what to wear.

Ffs have you lived in France, Spain, Greece, Italy etc. Women HAVE to be slim or they're either invisible or ridiculed. A thermal spa isn't real life.

I agree that we British are more uptight than a lot of other nationalities about nudity, but I don't think that I really find that a concern (maybe because I am so innately uptight about nudity that I don't want this prudishness relaxed in case I have to start seeing naked people everywhere...). I'm not sure that the OP's picture of British people sneering at overweight people in bikinis is entirely accurate, nor at disabled people. It's certainly not my experience of swimming pools/the beach.

OP, I think you are assuming that comfort with nudity automatically means no body issues at all, but in fact I know several people who come from nations which are generally more comfortable with nudity than we are (Romania, Poland, China, Japan) but who are much more judgemental about body shape than most of the British people I know (who would be mortified to get changed in public).

I have just been down the gym (have been bad and need to get back into a routine and this thread reminded me i should go and it is a quiet time)
One of the men i chat to was down there and he has a tracheotomy and is paralysed down one side from a stroke. He ties his hand to the hand cycle.
I really dont believe our leisure centre is as unusual as OP claims, its just a local council run centre in the middle of town.

sorry, OP but I have no idea what the hell you're on about.
Never have I expereinced or witnessed any sort of body judging or people with disabilities being complained about for using a pool( which i find pretty hard to believe TBH)
my local pool has people in every shape and form using it.
Could you specify how exactly people are judging in Britain? have you had personal experience of a stranger approaching you and commenting on eg. your stretchmarks ( no of course you've not)

Check out Clover Spa in Birmingham. I spent a really lovely weekend there.

I was at the thermal spa in Bania in Feb OP. I agree lots of different body shapes and sizes there but after our summer holiday in Norfolk with a pool I don't think there was much difference. Do you think people are less comfortable with their bodies in the UK as in trying to hide/cover themselves up more where as in Poland not so?
On a side note I was nearly drowned by big burly Polish fellas in the outdoor rapids making waves in the circle bit!