Women say good looks are key to successful career

More than half of women believe that having a better body and looks would enable them to climb the career ladder at work, putting paid to the "brains over beauty" theory.

A survey published yesterday revealed that cosmetically enhanced celebrities were helping to undermine beliefs that looks play no part in job success.

Top Sante magazine found 51 per cent of women thought their careers would progress at a faster pace if they had a better body and were more attractive.

More than eight out of 10 women (83 per cent) also said that the modern celebrity culture had made men's expectations of women's bodies too high.

As a result of pressures at work and in relationships, growing numbers of women are considering cosmetic surgery.

But it is not just men who are pushing women to extreme measures - 78 per cent said other women were more critical of their weight and shape than men.

The survey of 2,000 women also found what had long been suspected - hardly any are completely happy with their body.

Only 0.5 per cent of those questioned said that they had the "perfect body", while only 2 per cent felt happy about their body. The majority (95 per cent) said that they felt unhappy about their body every day.

Two-thirds of women said they would have cosmetic surgery - either "definitely" (41 per cent) or "possibly" (26 per cent). Only 33 per cent ruled it out completely.

Seven out of 10 women (71 per cent) felt that their body image was preventing them living the life they wanted.

The survey found that if they had a better body, 65 per cent of women would change their lifestyle, 46 per cent would change their career and 12 per cent would change their partner.

Two-thirds (64 per cent) thought their whole life would be improved if they had a better body. The old problem of weight was also highlighted by the women questioned. Only 8 per cent were happy with their weight, while 92 per cent said they wished they were slimmer by an average of 9lb.

Women were also terrified of looking old, with 58 per cent jealous of women their own age who looked younger.

Four out of 10 (42 per cent) were jealous of good-looking female friends and 36 per cent envied all younger women in general.

The survey found that those questioned believed women look at their very best when they are aged 31 and then it was downhill all the way. They notice their first real wrinkles at 36 and, by the time they reach 47, they believed their looks were fading fast.