Body image obsession takes toll on women

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Idealized, airbrushed beauty and body image obsession have an economic impact on U.S. women and girls, non-profit officials at YWCA USA said.

The report, "Beauty at Any Cost," says young women and girls are increasingly spending more money and going to unhealthy extremes to achieve an unattainable image of physical perfection.

Tracy Lakatua, YWCA USA board chairwoman, says the costs include physical harm, including risks posed by smoking to maintain a low weight and risky cosmetic surgeries; and mental and emotional harm, including low-esteem and interpersonal problems that create an unhealthy, competitive "mean girls culture."

The report also reveals the health risks of unsafe cosmetic ingredients and the consequences of appearance-based job discrimination.

"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," Lorraine Cole, YWCA USA chief executive officer says in a statement. "What's really new is the sheer extent to which women and girls are now willing to go -- literally causing physical harm -- to be 'beautiful,' according to the standards perpetuated by a youth-obsessed media culture with literally thousands of messages -- 24 hours a day."