Nearly half of Australians skip meals or avoid being in bathers at the beach because they are insecure about their bodies, new research has shown.

A survey by the Butterfly Foundation — the nation’s leading eating disorder and body image issues charity — has highlighted how normalised discussion around negative body image has an impact on how Australians eat and exercise.

More than half of 1300 respondents said they had skipped meals because of how they felt about their body, while more than four in 10 said they had skipped physical exercise.

The same ratio also said feelings about their body had prevented them from going to the beach or pool regularly or at all, while about one in three felt the same about shopping for clothes, pursuing a romantic relationship, and doing physical activity or sport.

Poor self-confidence wasn’t limited to lifestyle habits, with more than 84 per cent of people finding it more difficult to speak kindly or positively about their own body or appearance than someone else’s.

The study showed that many parents also didn’t feel confident about the topic, expressing challenges with how to support a child with negative thoughts about their body.

Many parents were unsure about where to go for help, with almost half saying they either would not know where to seek support for a child experiencing body image concerns or an eating disorder.

Butterfly Foundation head of prevention Helen Bird said the findings pointed to the need for greater body image support in schools, sporting clubs and at home.

“Most people know that they would never say to a friend the unkind things they say to themselves. But negative body talk has become so normalised that it can influence how people eat, move, socialise and participate in everyday life,” she said.

“Being kinder to our own bodies is about building small, simple actions into everyday life.

“Working to change that nagging and judgemental inner voice to a more compassionate and kinder one is a great starting point, benefiting ourselves and the young people around us.”

The research also found nearly three quarters of respondents agreed that eating disorder prevention should be mandatory in secondary schools, and that schools and sporting clubs had a vital role to play in supporting student body image.

Body positivity advocate Isabella Charon said she knew firsthand how talking kindly about other people’s bodies was “so much easier than speaking about your own”.

“I know when I look at my friends, I value them for so much more than their body or appearance, and I would never comment negatively about their body,” the 22-year-old from Sydney said.

“But we don’t apply that same treatment to ourselves. If I had known how to be kinder to my own body growing up, it could have prevented a lot of struggles and hardships.”

The findings come as the Butterfly Foundation encourages schools, families, and sporting clubs to register for BodyKind August, a free annual initiative designed to help communities create better body image environments for young people.

Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673.

Lifeline: 13 11 14.