Almost one in three Irish women are not confident about their bodies and appearance, with those in the 25-34 age group the most likely to have body hang-ups, a new survey has found.

According to the findings, having a big tummy is the most common body issue, followed by having a ‘jelly belly' and cellulite.

While those in the 25-34 age group have the least confidence in their appearance, those aged 45 and older have the most confidence. However among this age group, wrinkles and the appearance of fine lines are the biggest body confidence issues.

The survey also found that concerns about appearance have affected almost half of female relationships in some kind of way, with many women stating that they do not like their partner to see or touch certain parts of their bodies.

Again, a lack of confidence in this area appears to affect younger women more than older women.

A number of women also stated that concerns about their appearance and a lack of confidence had held them back in their careers as well. One in three believed that they did not come across well in interviews and one in three said they would simply be too nervous to apply for certain jobs.

One in four women also wear certain outfits to work to conceal their body issues.

The survey was carried out by Empathy Research among 825 Irish adults on behalf of Head & Shoulders.