Half of girls consider plastic surgery

The report, Girls' Attitudes, also shows that more than one in ten girls aged 11 to 16 would consider having a gastric band or cosmetic surgery.

The findings are based on a national survey conducted by Girlguiding UK among more than 1,000 girls aged between seven and 21.

The findings indicated a correlation between girls' school achievement and attitude towards their bodies, as 43 per cent  of girls attending a secondary school whose performance is good or outstanding said ‘no' to surgery compared to 19 per cent of girls at schools rated satisfactory or poor.

Other findings included more than a third of girls in the 16 to 21 age group admitting to having had unprotected sex. Also, 31 per cent in the 11 to 16 age group claimed to feel pressure from friends to do things they wouldn't normally do.

According to the survey, 45 per cent of girls who have left education or are unemployed expect to have a child before they are 21. One in five 11- to 16-year-olds feel they don't get the same opportunities as boys.

"We in Guiding know that girls between seven and 21 have some pretty strong views," said chief Guide, Liz Burnley. "It is part of our responsibility to the next generation to ensure that their views and opinions are counted."