Let's face it, ladies. Some of us are willing to do some crazy things when it comes to being thin. From cabbage soup diets, to pills -- even shots. But would you be willing to give up a year of your life all in the name of being slim?
It depends on who you ask.
"I would not give up my life," says Tracy Harris. "I love my life."
Jan Myers, another woman surveyed, acknowledged: "It's tempting, of course. We all want to look fabulous."
"I would absolutely in a heartbeat," says Debra DeLano. "I've lost a hundred pounds. I know what it's like to be morbidly obese."
Even after putting in the hard work to attain her goal weight, DeLano would trade it all in a second.
"Hopefully it's going to be a really long life and it would be year 91 or something like that," she adds.
She's not the only one. Consider the survey conducted by British researchers at the University of West England that found 16 percent of young women would trade a year of life to get their ideal body weight and shape.
Even more shocking: 10 percent would trade 2 to 5 years and two percent are willing to trade up to 10 years of life!
Harris works out at least four days a week and is surprised at the survey's results.
"Society puts such a big image on women to be thin, beautiful," she says. "It doesn't surprise me because you know, you open a magazine and who do you see? A super-thin woman."
That's why Sioban Forte, another gym junkie, says a healthy self-image is key.
"You've got to have a good image of yourself and family, friends and just enjoy life," she says. "And just maintain what you want to look like and feel like and just be healthy."
Myers agrees and is getting to her ideal weight the old-fashioned way.
"I'm working out, so I'm trying to get there on my own and I'm trying to have the exercise extend my life as opposed to giving up a year to get there," she notes.
This new research is based on a relatively small sample of just 350 women. Researchers have said that the results may not be representative of women in general.
Copyright 2011 America Now. All rights reserved.
