High Graphics | BBC Sport>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo | High Graphics | BBC SPORT>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo |
Health Contents: Background Briefings | Medical notes |

BBC News Online: Health


Wednesday, 8 August, 2001, 19:12 GMT 20:12 UK

Most women 'want plastic surgery'


Madonna in concert
Madonna inspires many women, survey found
Two thirds of women are so unhappy with their body that they would undergo plastic surgery to achieve the perfect look, a survey suggests.

Of the 3,000 women questioned, 90% said their body made them feel "down".

And almost three-quarters think about their size and shape every day, the survey by Top Sante magazine found.


Plastic surgery - top five procedures
Liposuction - 55%
Tummy tuck - 47%
Lines around the eyes/shape of the eyes - 24%
Breast enlargement - 21%
Face-lift - 19%

Madonna was voted to be the most inspirational woman in terms of looking good, and Dawn French was voted to have the worst body.

The best looking man was voted to be Sean Connery, and the worst Chris Evans.

The survey found women thought the perfect female body was made up of Catherine Zeta Jones' face, Jennifer Aniston's hair, Liz Hurley's bust, Elle Macpherson's legs and Jennifer Lopez's bottom.

The ideal man was made up of Brad Pitt's face, David Ginola's hair, Robbie Williams' chest, Mel Gibson's bottom and David Beckham's legs.

The survey also found the top five most hated parts of women's bodies were, in order, hips and thighs, bottom, waist, legs and arms.

Almost two-thirds said their sex lives would be better if they achieved their ideal shape.

Three-quarters of women who have had plastic surgery think it has improved their lives, and 71% would do it again - but four out of 10 said the results from operations they had already had were not as good as they expected.

Diet

Eighty-six per cent of women said they had dieted at some time, with one in 10 admitting to permanently being on a diet.

Dawn French was voted to have the worst woman's body
A third have tried slimming pills or fasting as a quick way to lose weight, with 18% taking laxatives.

Twenty-eight per cent admitted to anorexic tendencies, 32% to bulimic tendencies and 73% said they binged.

And nine out of 10 women think "big" members of both sexes are unattractive.

Half of women said they were unhappy with their breasts, and 90% say they have cellulite.


The perfect female body
Catherine Zeta Jones' face
Jennifer Aniston's hair
Liz Hurley's bust
Elle Macpherson's legs
Jennifer Lopez's bottom

In terms of growing old, it is hitting 50 not 40 which now fills women with dread.

They think the peak age for women is 32, with men reaching the height of their attractiveness at 35.

Julliette Kellow, editor of Top Sante, said: "British women are obsessed with their bodies, and it is spoiling their lives.

"For almost 40 years, being attractive has been equated with being thin.

"But women's desire for body perfection is no longer a weight issue - the majority of normal and underweight women answering our survey are still unhappy with their bodies."


The perfect male body ...
Brad Pitt's face
David Ginola's hair
Robbie Williams' chest
Mel Gibson's bottom
David Beckham's legs

Dr Joan Brunton, of the Eating Disorders Unit at St George's Medical School, told BBC News Online: "A lot of women want to be thinner, and the ideal is thin.

"And women think their bodies are infinitely malleable. Most women can't change their shape and it's unusual to be that thin."

Gill Todd, clinical nurse specialist at the Bethlem Hospital in south London, said: "The message women get is that we need all our bones showing, and we need to be thin, so only then can we be happy and successful."


Related to this story:
Poor body image plagues women (09 May 01 | Health) Women 'obsessed by their bodies' (12 Oct 00 | Health) Survey reveals weight misery (14 Jun 00 | Health) Eating disorders 'on the increase' (12 Feb 01 | Health) Most young women 'unhappy with bodies' (21 Feb 01 | Health)


Internet links: Bethlem Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust | Eating Disorders Association | St George's Medical School |
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
High Graphics | BBC Sport>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo | High Graphics | BBC SPORT>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo |
Health Contents: Background Briefings | Medical notes |

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | ©