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Almost 50% Of 11-16 Year-Old Girls Dieting
By the age of 10, girls start wanting to be thin and 42% of 11 to 16-year-olds restrict what they eat to stay slim, Girlguiding UK found.
More than 1,000 girls and women, aged seven to 21, were quizzed on topics including binge drinking, eating disorders, plastic surgery, sexual health and body image.
It found that 24% of 16 to 21-year-olds would consider having cosmetic surgery, while 12% of 11 to 16-year-olds would consider having a gastric band or plastic surgery and 5% would think about Botox.
Cosmetic surgery is widely accepted as an option for making positive changes to their appearance.
The researchers found a watershed after the age of 10 when it came to appearance.
Among seven to 11-year-olds, 2% were unhappy with their appearance but this rose to 11% of 11 to 16-year-olds.
Cheryl Cole is by far the most popular female role model among 11 to 16-year-olds.
Half as many girls in this group chose model Katie Price, aka Jordan, and fewer than one in 10 favoured America's First Lady Michelle Obama or Olympic athletes Kelly Holmes and Rebecca Adlington.
Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson said: "Today's unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means that young girls are under more pressure now than they were even five years ago.
"Airbrushing means that adverts now contain completely unattainable images that no one can live up to in real life.
"Girls shouldn't constantly feel the need to measure up to a very narrow range of digitally manipulated images."
Chief Guide Liz Burnley said: "It is part of our responsibility to the next generation to ensure that their views and opinions are counted and in our centenary year we are proud to make this contribution to the policy debate on behalf of all girls, not just our members."
:: 1,109 questionnaires were completed between May and July this year.
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