Women are spending more on their looks than health to the tune of £108 a year

Beauty obsession: British women are more concerned with their appearance than their health, a survey found

British women spend more money on their looks than they do on their health, a study revealed yesterday.

The typical woman forks out an average of £336 a year on hair products, make-up and fake tan in a bid to look young, but just £228 on vitamins and gym membership.

And while three quarters enjoy spending cash on looking their best, just 41 per cent like heading to the shops for health supplements and nutritional food.

The statistics emerged in a study of women aged between 18 and 65 who were quizzed on their spending habits and attitudes when faced with choosing between image or health.

Yesterday, a spokesman for healthcare provider Benenden Healthcare Society, which commissioned the report, said: ‘It would be wrong to say that these results come as a surprise, as so many of us are guilty of taking shortcuts to ensure we look good – often at the expense of our health.

‘There’s a real danger that British women are becoming too focused on what they look like and forgetting to look after their inner health.

‘They become obsessed with the latest beauty trends and maintaining a perfect look, but in the end it’s just a mirage and they’re not caring enough for what’s going on inside their bodies.

‘Women can be slim and look good, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy. Having a balanced lifestyle should be a priority to everyone.’

The study of 3,000 women found four in ten were more worried about their appearance than their health. And six in ten would prefer to live life to the full and ‘embrace life’s excesses’ rather than worry about ‘being squeaky clean’.

Low priority: Women admitted spending more on cosmetic products than exercise and healthy eating

The extreme lengths women have gone to in order to keep trim at the expense of their health were also exposed.

Nearly 19 per cent admitted to crash-dieting and one in 20 have resorted to laxatives to lose weight.

A worrying 3 per cent admitted to taking up smoking to shed a few pounds and 14 per cent have turned to diet pills.

Four per cent said they ended up suffering from an eating disorder to look their best for a night out.

But eight in ten would be encouraged to continue their bad habits if they received a compliment, and one in five would ‘do anything’ to get into a size eight pair of jeans.