Tuesday, 19 Aug, 2008 Health & Fitness

A report on physical perfection and continuous development of cosmetic surgery states that obsession with beauty could lead to serious health issues as well as problems linked with economic well-being.

Girls and women from the United States spend a lot of money on cosmetic surgery so they would look just like the "photoshopped" celebrities from the magazines. According to the report published by Beauty at any Cost, each year American women spent about $7 billion on cosmetics and beauty products (about $100 a month for every woman). If this money was saved and invested for 5 years, it could pay a full year at a public college.

"We believe that the obsession with idealized beauty and body image is a lifelong burden that takes a terrible toll on all young girls and women in this country. What's really new here is the sheer extent to which women and girls are now willing to go...to be 'beautiful,' according to standards perpetuated by a youth-obsessed media culture with literally thousands of messages, 24 hours a day," said Lorraine Cole, Young Women's Christian Association chief executive.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Surgery, last year about 11.7 million cosmetic procedures were completed in the US, which represents a 446% increase in ten years. Most popular cosmetic procedures include botox injections and liposuction. The report also states that hair sprays and nail polishes, often used in American cosmetics, feature phthalates.

Despite the fact that no governmental reviews has found any phthalate hazardous as used in products manufactured for the general public, a number of studies showed that phthalates caused damage in liver and reproductive system in animals.

The YWCA joint the makers of a new documentary called "America the Beautiful", in order to warn the 2.5 million women and girls that the association serves in the United States about the problems linked with cosmetic surgery.

Source: NEWS.com.au