YWCA USA releases 'Beauty at Any Cost' report

LOS ANGELES YWCA USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to social service, advocacy, education, leadership development and racial justice, has issued a report suggesting America’s beauty obsession poses serious consequences for women and girls.

The report, called “Beauty at Any Cost,” shows “alarming” trends and money spent on cosmetic surgery alterations as more young women and girls go to extremes to achieve an unattainable image of physical perfection, according to Tracy Lakatua, YWCA USA board chair.

“We believe that obsession with idealized beauty and body image is a lifelong burden that takes a terrible toll on all young girls and women in this country,” stated Lorraine Cole, YWCA USA chief executive officer. “What’s really new here is the sheer extent to which women and girls are now willing to go—literally causing physical harm—to be ‘beautiful’ according to the standards perpetuated by a youth-obsessed media culture with literally thousands of messages, 24 hours a day.”

To help raise awareness and start a national conversation about these issues, the YWCA USA has teamed up with documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts to become the distribution partner of his new documentary film, “America the Beautiful.” The film provides an in-depth look and critical analysis of the harm inflicted by beauty obsession on young women and girls.