Almost half of all secondary school girls say they would undergo laser treatment, liposuction or some form of plastic surgery to change the way they look, according to a new study of social attitudes.

The study found that 46 per cent of girls aged 11 to 16, and 50 per cent of girls aged 16 to 21 would consider cosmetic surgery to make themselves thinner or prettier. The figures are even higher among under-16s who are not doing well at school. Only 19 per cent of girls whose performance was satisfactory or poor said that they would never have invasive surgery to improve their appearance.

The findings suggest that the next generation of women believe that plastic surgery is a part of everyday life. Critics have blamed the prevalence of cosmetic operations among celebrities and television shows such as 10 Years Younger for making serious and often risky surgical procedures seem as simple as a trip to the hairdresser.

The research was carried out on behalf of the Girl Guides to mark their centenary. It is the first significant survey of girls’ social attitudes, with more than a thousand 7 to 21-year-old girls and women questioned about their body image, health and family life.

It found that dieting is prevalent, with girls as young as 11 saying that they have cut down on what they eat to stay thin. Almost half (42 per cent) of 11 to 16-year-old girls said that they cut out certain foods or control “to excess” what they eat, rising to 66 per cent of the 16 to 21 age group.

The authors of the report said that they were particularly concerned that girls started finding fault with their appearance at a very early age. While 60 per cent of 7 to 9-year-old girls said that they were very happy with their appearance, the figure dropped to 27 per cent for 10 and 11-year-old girls, suggesting that even before puberty girls begin judging their own looks harshly.

The desire to be thin begins early, too. One in eight 10 and 11-year-old girls said that they wanted to be thinner. The figure rose to more than a quarter of 11 to 16-year-old girls and to more than a third in the 16-to-21 age group.

Nicola Grinstead, a trustee of Girlguiding UK, said it was alarming that such young girls were unhappy with how they looked. “Girls and young women are telling us that they are finding it quite hard to accept their appearance, and it is starting at a much earlier age than we had previously thought.

“The survey shows girls as young as 11 are dissatisfied with how they look and are prepared to use surgery to make a change. The link with education is also clear. Where girls are not doing so well at school they pin their self-worth on their appearance much more.”

Binge drinking was identified by many of the girls as a serious health issue. More than one in four 11 to 16-year-old girls said that they had drunk so much that they had vomited or passed out, with the figure rising to 58 per cent in the 16-to-21 age group.

Although there are no historical data to compare with the new research, the changing nature of the guides give some indication of the dramatic changes that have taken place in the lives of young women.

Guides have called recently for advice on safe sex and instruction on how to assemble flat-pack furniture to ready themselves for life in the 21st century.

In 1910 members were awarded badges for milking cows and learning to iron. There was uproar when, later in the century, badges were awarded for first aid and learning how to cook on a camp fire.

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