Airbrushed models blamed for women suffering low self-esteem

London, Nov 27 (ANI): A new survey has revealed that airbrushed models are causing women to suffer from low self-esteem.

The study found that the images of models, which have been digitally altered, are causing more than two-thirds of women to suffer low confidence about their bodies.

According to a study for Dove beauty brand, advertising campaigns use airbrushing techniques to portray "unattainable perfection".

The company questioned over 1,000 women who mostly said the beauty industry's advertising campaigns were having a negative impact on their lives.

A total of 96 percent of women quizzed by Dove said they felt the models used in beauty advertising were not a realistic representation of women today.

Over 40 percent said the adverts made them feel self-conscious about their appearance.

More than a quarter said they were left feeling inadequate and 20 percent said they were less confident in their daily lives as a result of such images.

The Dove research follows a similar study undertaken five years ago when the brand first launched its Campaign for Real Beauty.

The research also revealed an increase in the number of female consumers who want to see "real women" used in beauty advertising - up from 74 percent in 2004 to 95 percent in 2009.

"On a daily basis women are bombarded with impossibly perfect images created by artifice, which they will always aspire towards but can rarely achieve, because these images depend on serious transformation by photographers," Sky News quoted psychotherapist Dr Susie Orbach as saying.

The women surveyed for Dove were split as to whether they could tell the difference between images which had been airbrushed, with 58 percent thinking they could and 42 percent admitting they could not.

The study also found that the overwhelming majority - 96 percent - would like advertisers to be honest about the extent to which they airbrush or digitally manipulate images.

"Our research shows that women want to see more realistic representations of beauty in the media and advertising," Dove senior brand manager Katie Adams said.

"It is no wonder that [our] campaign has continued to resonate with millions of women worldwide," she added. (ANI)