Men and women are happiest with their bodies once they reach the age of 60, a study has revealed.

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People become more satisfied with size, shape and appearance as they age and data from more than 15,000 people reveals that latter years feature the highest levels of self-assurance.

Women aged between 19 and 24 were more likely to be unhappy with their bodies but their displeasure vanished by the time they reached 60. Men suffered dips in body satisfaction between the ages of 29 and 34 and 44 to 49.

The study, which was published in the journal 'Body Image', said: "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.

"Similarly to their female peers, ageing men may value body functionality over body appearance, which in turn may buffer against appearance dissatisfaction."