A recent survey conducted by The Nielsen Company showed that looking good is extremely important to the Asian woman and a vast majority of women in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia are concerned about their body shape.

Up to 75 per cent of the 500 women aged between 25 to 49 surveyed in each country and region said that they were dissatisfied with their current body shape.

The percentage was the highest in Taiwan with 75 per cent of the women saying they were dissatisfied with their current body shape, followed by Hong Kong at 61 per cent and Australia at 46 per cent.

The women who expressed these dissatisfactions in Hong Kong and Taiwan were mainly single women, while in Australia, married women made up more of the concerned women.

Among the body areas respondents claimed they were unhappy with, love handles, bra fat and tummy bulges topped the list in all three regions with over 49 per cent of the respondents claiming these physical signs to be key concerns.

The survey was sponsored by Syneron, a global aesthetic device company, and took place in April and May 2013.

In Canada, the survey found that 65 per cent of women are not at all satisfied with their mid-sections, including their muffin top (48 per cent), their spare tire (47 per cent) and their love handles (39 per cent) 2.  

Although 71 per cent of Canadian women still found the time to integrate a solution to improve their body shape such as dieting and/or exercise (59 per cent) 3, nearly half (49 per cent) of women would also consider a non-invasive, non-surgical body shaping procedure to address these problem areas4.

“In recent years women in my practice are increasingly concerned about their body shape,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett, dermatologist and founder of DLK on Avenue Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic, Toronto, Ontario.  

“I believe many Canadian women are proactive in seeking out solutions to maintain a positive outlook when it comes to their body shape.  However, despite eating well and exercising regularly, sometimes there are stubborn areas that don’t respond, particularly after having children or losing weight. This can be very frustrating for the women who come to see me.”