NEW YORK, June 5 (UPI) -- Eighteen percent of U.S. women would rather go to the dentist -- or walk on hot coals -- than wear a swimsuit, found a U.S. survey.
Fifty percent of the women surveyed said they have turned down invitations that required wearing a swimsuit, and 45 percent would never walk around the beach or pool without covering up first, according to a body image survey published in Fitness magazine.
Fitness, in partnership with Lands' End, polled 500 women ages 18 to 49 to understand how women's behavior, anxiety levels and self-confidence are affected when wearing a swimsuit.
The results point to a discouraging trend of women so conscious about their shape and size that it affects the way they live and interact with friends, colleagues and family, according to Denise Brodey, editor in chief of Fitness.
While 83 percent of women feel "judged" by other women when wearing a swimsuit and 59 percent admit to critiquing others, just 5 percent said they thought men judge other men.
