Cosmetic surgery campaign launched

Girlguiding UK has launched a digital campaign urging an increasing number of teenage girls who are considering plastic surgery to think twice.

The organisation’s latest initiative is aimed at girls aged 12 to 16 and interactive web pages offer a range of tips on how girls can boost their self-confidence.

Users can read real-life stories from girls who have battled with cosmetic issues, such as eating disorders and body angst.

The campaign Give Yourself A Chance has been launched in response to a survey conducted by Girlguiding UK in 2009 and 2010.

The national survey found that half of young women aged 16 to 21 would consider cosmetic surgery and more than one in 10 girls aged 11 to 16 would think about cosmetic surgery to change their looks.

Girlguiding UK official Cathy Fraser said: “Our research has shown the shocking extent to which girls would consider drastic action to change the way they look.

“Working closely with girls and young women, we are all too aware of the pressures they face to conform to a certain body image.

“Give Yourself A Chance encourages girls to boost their self-confidence without cosmetic surgery and to give themselves the opportunity to develop fully.”

She said activities like guiding can encourage girls “to accept themselves as they are”.

The group’s research revealed girls as young as 10 wanted to be thin with half of 11 to 16-year-olds eating less to stay slim.

The survey quizzed 1,109 girls and women aged seven to 21 and found almost a quarter (24 per cent) of 16 to 21-year-olds would consider having cosmetic surgery, while one in eight (12 per cent ) of 11 to 16-year-olds would consider having a gastric band or plastic surgery and five per cent would think about Botox.

In September 2009, Girlguiding UK backed a campaign launched by the Liberal Democrats that called for a ban on adverts aimed at under-16s which used airbrushed pictures of models.

It also called for adverts to indicate clearly when airbrushing had been used.