'Yummy mummies' making mothers feel 'saggy, baggy and depressed'

London, Mar 2 : The growing celebrity 'yummy mummies' phenomenon has cast such a spell on today's mums that they feel 'saggy, baggy and depressed' about their own bodies, according to a survey.

According to the poll of 1,300 mothers by the Internet site Mumsnet only one in four mothers are satisfied with their appearance, with most so self-conscious they would not wear a bikini on holiday.

Half of the women questioned said they were so fed up with their lumps, bumps and sagging skins they would consider cosmetic surgery if they could afford it.

Psychologists said the poll showed the ugly side of the 'yummy mummy' phenomenon, and accused celebrity mothers of 'subverting' motherhood by making women think their figures were as important as bringing up their families.

The poll found that fewer than a quarter were content with their appearance, and half described themselves as unhappy.

One mother called herself a "heffalump", while another described herself as "saggy, baggy and without the energy to do anything about it".

Insecurities were greatest among the youngest mothers, with 40 per cent of those below the age of 26 admitting to despair when they saw pictures of celebrity mothers such as Victoria Beckham, and the model Nell McAndrew.

The poll found that most women preferred their figures before pregnancy: 68 per cent said they had looked better before giving birth, but only 28 per cent thought their husbands or domestic partners agreed.

"Motherhood should be a really empowering time which is all about the bonding relationship between mother and baby. Instead, it has been totally subverted," The Telegraph quoted Susie Orbach, a psychologist and visiting professor at the London School of Economics, as saying.

"There are pressures on mothers now like there have never been before.

"There is a really ugly underbelly to the cult of the celebrity yummy mummy. It leaves women feeling inadequate about their bodies at a point when they have enough to deal with, adjusting to a whole new role in life," she added.

ANI