Oz women 'binge drink, are stressed and troubled'

Melbourne, Apr 23 : The lives of women Down Under is not at all smooth sailing, for according to a new survey, Aussie ladies booze too much, are troubled and stressed most of the time, and to top it all, they're so much worried about their weight that they avoid mirrors.

An Australian Women's Weekly survey of 15,000 women found that the ladies in the country are stressed, confused about diet and don't exercise enough.

"The worrying evidence is that women are putting their health at risk," News.com.au quoted Deborah Thomas, the magazine's editorial director, as saying.

The survey found that only one in six women were happy with their weight.

One in five had such a poor body image they avoided mirrors and 45 per cent would have cosmetic surgery if they could afford it.

More than a quarter of the women were confused about what constituted a healthy diet, and 26 per cent failed to eat vegetables every day.

Women weren't getting enough exercise - only 45 per cent exercised for 30 minutes or more at least three times a week.

Daily drinking, mostly to ease stress or unwind, has declined among women - 16 per cent now drink every day, down from 19 per cent in 1980.

But binge drinking appeared to be rife, with a third drinking too much and one in five women admitting she had been told she had a drinking problem.

Few of the women smoked, just 18 per cent, but most were happy to continue, partly to help with stress.

When it came to ageing, more women - 62 per cent - were worried about getting Alzheimers disease, than their partners dying - 57 per cent.

Other big fears were losing touch with children and deteriorating health.

The survey also found most women had been depressed at some stage, with one in 10 currently depressed.

ANI