People who wish to
have certain types of cosmetic surgery should face rigorous mental health checks before the procedures are carried
out.
According to Reflections on Body Image, co-authored by MPs and health and
education charity Central YMCA, the British obsession with the perfect body is
threatening to fuel an eating disorder crisis and an increase in psychiatric
illnesses.
The study found that girls as young as five are now worrying about their body
shape, before concluding: "There is an urgent need to develop a
psychological screening tool and follow up measure to gather data on the
psychological characteristics and suitability of prospective patients who want
to have cosmetic surgery."
All Party Parliamentary Group chairwoman Jo Swinson added that body image
dissatisfaction has now reached an all-time high and there is great pressure to
conform to an unattainable ideal.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, 43,069
cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out last year - a 5.8 per cent
increase from 2010.
© Adfero Ltd
Cosmetic surgery news : 1 June 2012
