Even Preschool Girls Worry About Weight

A third 'almost always' anxious about their looks, study finds
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2009 7:27 AM CST
Even Preschool Girls Worry About Weight
A third of preschool girls reported being "almost always" worried about their looks.   (?iGrasshopper)

Girls as young as 3 years old are concerned about their looks and being overweight, stunned researchers have found. Up to 50% of preschool girls studied were already anxious about their looks. A third said they were "almost always" worried about their appearance and wanted to lose weight or change their hair color, the study found.

“We do need to help our children challenge the images of beauty, particularly thinness, that they see and idolize, and encourage them to question how much appearance should be part of their self-worth," said the lead researcher. "We should help them build a positive self-image with an appreciation for many different types of body attributes.” A separate British study found that half of older girls surveyed in Britain would consider cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance, and a third want to be thinner.
(More gender bias stories.)

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