Almost 80 percent of New Zealand women believe that attractive people get more opportunities in life, a survey from Next magazine has found.
The body image survey asked over 1,500 women how they felt about their weight and appearance, and the links between good looks and success.
Two out of three women believe that good-looking people are more likely to succeed in life, and 79 percent think attractive people tend to get more opportunities.
The majority of New Zealand women – 75 percent – are unhappy with their weight, and 43 percent are keen to lose at least 5kg.
A staggering 86 percent of women think about their weight daily, and many fixate about it several times a day. Over 60 percent would consider plastic surgery.
According to the survey, size 10-12 is no longer standard for New Zealand women – 49 percent of those surveyed were size 14 or bigger, and less than a third are a size 10 or below.
Next editor Sarah Henry says the results were surprising, and the magazine “underestimated just how much impact body image has”.
“If women are happy with what they see in the mirror they generally have a positive outlook,” she says.
“However, when they dislike their reflection, this feeling can manifest itself in all aspects of their life.”
3 News