Looks can deceive when it comes to image issues

London: Girls as young as ten are worried about their weight and every second teenager would consider surgery to enchance appearance, according to a study published yesterday.

It suggests that anxieties about body shape begin much earlier than usually thought and that a majority of girls restrict their food intake. Dissatisfaction grows as girls reach puberty, with 50 per cent of 16 to 21 year olds willing to consider invasive procedures such as plastic surgery or gastric bands to alter their looks.

Among 11 to 16 year olds, 12 per cent would consider surgery or gastric bands.

The study found that insecurities about body image start at ten, with 12 per cent of ten and 11 year olds wanting to be thinner. Fifty per cent of 11- to 16-year-old girls had become very aware of what they ate and had cut down on certain foods, rising to 66 per cent of 16 to 21 year olds.

Previous research has warned that girls are in danger of being psychologically damaged by mounting pressure to grow up too quickly. The latest study, by Girlguiding UK, involved 1,109 girls, some of whom were not members of the organisation. It also provides further evidence of the growing menace of binge-drinking by the ‘ladette' generation.

Losing control

Twenty-seven per cent of girls aged 11 to 16 said they had drunk so much they had been sick or lost control. The figure rose to 58 per cent among 16 to 21 year olds.

Last month, a study by the Schools Health Education Unit found that teenage girls routinely skip both breakfast and lunch in an attempt to emulate skinny celebrities and models.

The study also highlighted how girls still feel there is a gender divide. One in six girls as seven to 11 year olds and one in five 11 to 16 year olds say they never get the same opportunities as boys.

Chief Guide Liz Burnley said: "We in guiding know that girls between seven and 21 have some pretty strong views. The results of this landmark survey show just how much they have to say on issues that affect their lives. It is part of our responsibility to the next generation to ensure that their views and opinions are counted. We hope that it will help inform decision-making about how to better engage with girls and young people."