Germans critical of perfect body cult

The survey also reveals, however, that one in three Germans deems keeping fit essential to achieving both professional and personal success. The poll questioned 1,100 people and was commissioned by Hamburg's Koerber Foundation. When confronted with the statement "Anyone who does not work on keeping fit and maintaining an attractive body shape has only him/herself to blame if, as a result, his/her career suffers or he/she has difficulty finding a partner", 42 per cent of interviewees under the age of 30 agreed.

Fifty-nine per cent of those questioned claimed the idea of a perfect body played no part in their lives. On the other hand, the vast majority had very well-defined notions of what constitutes beauty. Seventy-one per cent believed that women should be slim. Likewise, 69 per cent said men should have "muscular and well-toned" bodies. Younger people were more likely to approve of cosmetic surgery as a means of attaining an ideal figure than their older counterparts, with 32 per cent sympathetic to those undergoing surgery to improve their chances of finding a partner, as opposed to 19 per cent of the total population. By contrast, all age groups were united in their condemnation of cosmetic operations performed for political or financial ends. These earned a mere five per cent approval rating.

(dpa)