Benenden's 'New You' Campaign Urges Women to Put their Health Before Beauty
Study prompts fears that women are putting looks ahead of their general wellbeing.
York, UK (PRWEB) January 24, 2011
Four in ten British women are more worried about their looks than their health, according to recently released research.
The study revealed that women are more prepared to spend money on products which give the impression they are healthy - rather than healthy products.
Nearly 19 per cent admit to crash-dieting and one in twenty have resorted to laxatives to squeeze into tight-fitting fashions.
And four per cent said they ended up suffering from an eating disorder to look their best for a night out.
Eight in ten would be encouraged to continue their bad habits if they received a compliment, and one in five would 'do anything' to get into a size eight pair of jeans.
Yesterday, a spokesman for mutual health care provider Benenden Healthcare Society, which carried out the study, said: "It would be wrong to say that these results come as a surprise, as so many of us are guilty of taking shortcuts to ensure we look good - often at the expense of our health.
"There's a real danger that British women are becoming too focused on what they look like and forgetting to look after their inner health. They become obsessed with the latest beauty trends and maintaining a perfect look, but in the end it's just a mirage and they're not caring enough for what's going on inside their bodies. Women can be slim and look good, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're healthy.
"Benenden Healthcare believes strongly that health and wellbeing should be a priority to everyone. The information is out there - particularly on our own website where we are currently running a 'New You' campaign supported by ITV Dancing on Ice's Hayley Tamaddon - so people do have the opportunity to find out how they can prioritise health over beauty.
"Just a few simple steps can often make a big difference to your health and wellbeing and often being healthier leads to being happier."
Dancing on Ice champion and presenter in the current ITV series, Hayley Tamaddon has been lending her support to Benenden Healthcare in recent weeks. Drawing from her own experiences of shaping up for Dancing on Ice and as a young woman in the entertainment industry, Hayley said: "The pressure on young woman in the public eye to look good is huge and it's often extremely unhealthy. I would really encourage all women that their own health and wellbeing should always come first - and it is so true that being healthy can often be a better route to happiness.
"As I've said for Benenden Healthcare's campaign, it's so easy to take a simple few steps in order to make a big difference - really simple things such as drinking plenty of water, cutting down on sugar and doing little bits of exercise here and there like regularly walking the dog."
The study of women aged between 18 and 65 quizzed them on their spending habits and attitudes when faced with either looking good or being healthy.
It found women fork out an average of £336 a year on hair products, make-up and fake tan in a bid to look young, but £228 is spent on vitamins and gym membership.
And while three quarters enjoy spending cash on looking their best, just 41 per cent like heading to the shops for health supplements and nutritional food.
A massive 84 per cent of the 3,000 polled agreed with the statement 'women are more concerned with the way they look than their level of fitness'.
And six in ten would rather live their life to the full and 'embrace life's excesses' rather than worry about 'being squeaky clean'.
The extreme lengths women have gone to in order to keep trim were also exposed - a worrying three per cent admitted to taking up smoking to shed a few pounds and 14 per cent have turned to diet pills.
Two thirds said they are worried they could be completely unaware of a serious health problem, yet one in five have NEVER been for a check-up at the doctors.
And while 56 per cent said they could cover up the effects of a late night with make-up, one in ten try to emulate the lives of Hollywood stars
However, many women realise it's not all about looks. Only eight per cent think being slim automatically means you're healthy and a quarter can tell someone is unhealthy just by looking at them.
Just one in six reckon celebs who are in the spotlight all of the time actual look a picture of health and three quarters make a concise effort to maintain a balanced diet.
More than half (52 per cent) are worried after reading stories about illnesses and the effects of eating the right food in the papers, and one in five regularly go to the gym..
Yet an overwhelming 93 per cent agree that Britain is an unhealthy nation and one in five have had a health scare after wrongly thinking they were fighting fit.
For further information, please contact:
Neil Barnes
0845 052 5767
Lawrence Christensen
07814 710021
Notes for editors:
The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited
Http://www. benenden. org. uk/newyou
Founded in 1905 and based in York since 1990, Benenden Healthcare Society is one of the UK's longest serving and most respected mutual healthcare societies.
Winner of 'Large Business of the Year' at 2010 York Press Business Awards.
The Society has a membership of more than 930,000 and provides a range of discretionary healthcare services to public sector workers and their families as well as employees and members of organisations whose aims and objectives are compatible with those of the Society, including charities, co-operatives, credit unions and other mutual organisations.
The research for Benenden Healthcare Society was carried out online by OnePoll between 24th December 2010 and 4th January 2011 amongst a panel resulting in 3000 respondents.
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