For some women getting in a swimming pool can be a daunting experience. In short: slipping on a swimming costume can bring with it a whole host of fears and anxieties – but it shouldn’t.

Which is why a web page written by Swim England (and published in 2010) has been heavily criticised online for focusing too much on the shape of women’s bodies.

In the article, the national sports body suggested women with a “jiggly belly” should avoid wearing bikinis, and said being pear-shaped has “often been the plague of women”.

“Ensuring you have the right swimwear for body shape is vital. It’s important to be honest with yourself or the person you are buying for. It can make a world of difference,” the guidance noted.

The article continued to suggest how women could “accentuate curves” or hide a“boyish body”.

The web page has since been taken down thanks to Simone Webb, a PhD student in gender studies, who came across the guide will searching for a swimsuit in an attempt to take up swimming again.

“This is material that @Swim_England is publishing on their website designed to encourage people to take up and enjoy swimming. Material which very explicitly tells women that their bodies ought to look a certain way and that that’s the primary aim of a swimming costume,” Webb tweeted.

She continued: “@Swim_England apparently think that a ‘boyish body’ needs to be feminized, that fat women must minimise their bodies, that women wanting to take up swimming should be concerned with their bodily appearance rather than the enjoyment of their sport.”

Swim England tells women how to hide “flabby stomachs” – Twitter reacts accordingly