ABU DHABI // More than half of Emirati women would consider plastic surgery to improve their body image, a study reveals.
A poll looking at religion and its relationship with depression, eating attitudes and body image surveyed 416 Emirati women between the ages 17 and 35.
Half were unhappy with their bodies and 51.2 per cent would go under the knife in pursuit of perfection.
Thirty per cent of those surveyed were at risk of an eating disorder or had symptoms of anorexia.
"Approximately half wanted to change the way they looked," said the author of the study, Meera Al Mutawa, a 22-year-old psychology graduate and nutrition major at Zayed University. "I found it shocking."
Ms Al Mutawa, of Abu Dhabi, carried out the survey to see if religion played a part in protecting Emiratis from depression and negative attitudes towards eating and body image.
"The more religious the person, the less likely they were to be depressed," she said.
Although half the women asked said they would consider surgery, only 1.2 per cent had actually had a procedure.
And the number of respondents who would have non-surgical treatments such as Botox was less than those who would have invasive surgery - 43.7 per cent.
"The number of women in this age group (17 to 35) who want surgery is increasing more and more," said Dr Abdulbaqi Al Khatib, a plastic surgery consultant at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
The most popular form of surgical treatment is rhinoplasty - changing the shape of the nose - or breast augmentation, he said, and more than 60 per cent of patients who opt for cosmetic surgery return for more.
Dr Al Khatib said he would only approve surgery for women who wanted to "slightly improve their silhouette or contour" and would refuse those with unrealistic expectations or signs of depression.
"We try to avoid those with exaggerated expectations," he said. "For example, if a person came in with a magazine to show what they want to look like then I would say no because this is unacceptable.
"We can only help a person to look a better version of who they are.
"Even those that only need a very minor change, we try to tell them they are good as they are."
Dr Al Khatib said that after the age of 35 the most common procedures were tummy tucks and liposuction. He attributed this to Emirati women often having several children and wanting to get back their pre-pregnancy figure.
The study found that people with abnormal eating attitudes were more likely to have depressive symptoms and more likely to consider cosmetic surgery.
"The willingness for plastic surgery is really scary," said Dr Veena Luthra, of the Abu Dhabi-based American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology.
"A thorough psychological assessment is necessary before surgery to make sure the person is psychologically stable and has realistic expectations from surgery."
Dr Luthra said the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures was worrying because the quest for perfection was often fruitless.
"The dissatisfaction with body is related to the role of media and cultural expectations and expectations, such as 'you cannot be too rich or too thin'," she said.
The study also showed that 25.8 per cent of respondents showed moderate (20.2 per cent) depression or severe (5.6 per cent) depressive symptoms, while 30 per cent were at risk of an eating disorder or had symptoms of anorexia.
"Those who were depressed were more likely to want to change their body image and had worse eating attitudes," Ms Al Mutawa said.
"Dieting and being thin is a desirable image - it is probably more celebrated now than it is stigmatised."
She feels the increased exposure to western cultures and influences "that associate thinness with beauty, smartness and popularity" could be a contributing factor to the high levels of body dissatisfaction.
The study, which Ms Al Mutawa hopes will be published, showed that religion or religious coping strategies may be an under-utilised psychiatric intervention, she said.
jbell@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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8.50pm: Calandogan
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Power: 70bhp
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Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
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Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
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Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
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Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Thank You for Banking with Us
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- Join parent networks
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A foster couple or family must:
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David Haye record
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FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBader%20Samreen%20(8-0-0)%20v%20Jose%20Paez%20Gonzales%20(16-2-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20flyweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESultan%20Al%20Nuaimi%20(9-0-0)%20v%20Jemsi%20Kibazange%20(18-6-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECruiseweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Bekdash%20(25-0-0)%20v%20Musa%20N%E2%80%99tege%20(8-4-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20featherweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBishara%20Sabbar%20(6-0-0)%20v%20Mohammed%20Azahar%20(8-5-1)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMarwan%20Mohamad%20Madboly%20(2-0-0)%20v%20Sheldon%20Schultz%20(4-4-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHeavyweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYoussef%20Karrar%20(1-0-0)%20v%20Muhammad%20Muzeei%20(0-0-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBenyamin%20Moradzadeh%20(0-0-0)%20v%20Rohit%20Chaudhary%20(4-0-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYousuf%20Ali%20(2-0-0)%20(win-loss-draw)%20v%20Alex%20Semugenyi%20(0-1-0)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
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Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
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Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
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Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
