I’d personally choose to live with mouth odour (bad breath/halitosis) over body odour—and it seems a lot of people lean that way too, based on polls, forums, and discussions.
Here’s why, broken down:
Proximity and Intensity
Bad breath is mostly an issue up close—during conversations, kissing, or sharing personal space. You can often keep a bit of distance, turn your head slightly, or the conversation ends eventually. It’s intense but short-range and situational.
Body odour fills the room or lingers on clothes/furniture. It’s harder to escape in shared living spaces (bedroom, couch, car). It can permeate everything and feel constant, especially in hot weather or tight quarters.
Many people on forums (Reddit threads, Nairaland discussions) say bad breath is worse in close interactions but easier to tolerate overall because you can manage exposure. Body odor feels more “inescapable” in daily life.
Social and Practical Factors
Bad breath is often easier to address politely or fix temporarily (gum, mints, water, brushing). People are more willing to hint or even directly tell someone about bad breath (surveys show 86% would tell someone, especially partners).
Body odour carries heavier stigma—it’s seen as a bigger hygiene red flag and harder to mask long-term without showers/deodorant changes. A 2011 poll listed body odor as the #1 physical turn-off (47%) vs. bad breath at #2 (41%). But in “living with” scenarios (roommate, partner), people often say BO is harder because it affects the whole environment.
Real Opinions from Surveys/Forums
In dating/turn-off polls, bad breath sometimes edges out as worse for first impressions or intimacy (one 2023 survey had 52% calling it the biggest new-partner turn-off vs. 47% for body odor/hygiene).
But in “which can you live with” or “tolerate long-term” debates (YouTube street interviews, Reddit, Nairaland), more people pick bad breath as more bearable—especially if the person is otherwise great. Comments like “I can stand armpit smell more than bad breath up close” are common, but the reverse (“BO lingers everywhere”) also appears.
Bottom Line
If it’s a partner or close roommate, mouth odour is the lesser evil for me—it’s fixable with better oral hygiene, and you can navigate around it more easily in daily life. Body odour feels more invasive and harder to ignore over time.
That said, neither is ideal, and both are usually fixable with basic hygiene, diet tweaks, or medical checks (e.g., tonsil issues for breath, sweat glands/diet for BO). If it’s chronic, kindness + a gentle convo goes a long way.
What about you—which one would you pick, and why? 😅
True, mouth odour is the lesser evil
Well body odour can also be caused by some illness, like diabetes or some skin pathology