Women have 36 negative thoughts a day
Tuesday 08 December 2009
Known as the more body-conscious sex, it is rare to find a woman that feels completely confident about her appearance, and with millions everywhere loathing their looks it seems that the self criticism could have reached a whole new dangerous high.
According to a recent study, the average woman has a staggering 36 negative thoughts about herself and the way she looks every day.
The study - developed by fitness instructor Irene Estry - was designed to discover just how much living in an image-obsessed society pressurised women into constantly focusing on their image.
One hundred women aged 35-69 were given a device that they were to click each time they noticed themselves having a negative thought about their bodies, faces, or lives over the course of seven days.
The results revealed an epidemic of insecurity in British females as the women had negative thoughts an average 252 times about their body image in just a week!
Loose Women presenter, Sherrie Hewson, 59, - who also took part in the experiment- admitted like most women she too was her biggest critic.
'I certainly didn't feel the way I do now when I was younger. I'd look in the mirror at my face and hair and think: "Oh dear, now that's a worry" and I'd click as I put my make-up on,’ she said.
'Women like me have been sold a lie: we believe we are free and liberated, and can have whatever we want,' she added despite her fresh and relatively youthful appearance.
'In fact, we're juggling so many balls, and putting ourselves under so much pressure to tick every box -- to have fabulous looks, a fabulous marriage, be fabulous mums and manage a fabulous career -- that we've become imprisoned by the pressure.’
Worryingly, the study also found that the negative thoughts increased as the women matured because they became more insecure and troubled about ageing. Some even admitted that they would consider cosmetic surgery in order to get their confidence back.
By Toyin Owoseje
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