Women's Extremes For Easy Weight Loss

A new survey reveals that nearly one-in-four women would gladly spend a week behind bars to reach their ideal weight. Not only that, but 85 percent would stroll through life with an extra toe if it meant keeping off the pounds, 23 percent would shave their heads, and nearly half would rather lose 20 pounds than live to be 100.

The survey, done for Fitness magazine, was dubbed "Diet Confessions."

Nearly three-quarters of them 1,000 women who responded have dieted or are dieting now and, most typically, they want to lose 30 pounds or more.

Another bottom line: fifty-one percent said they'd prefer Keira Knightley's body over Queen Latifah's although, in the end, 76 percent would rather be known as a "friendly, chubby girl" than a "skinny witch."

Fitness Editor in Chief Denise Brodey says, "The survey results illuminate the long, complicated relationship women have with their bodies. Yes, it can be funny to hear about the lengths women will go to lose a few pounds, but on a more serious note, it's unsettling to see just how deep-seated our unhappiness with our bodies is. Rather than beat ourselves up over so-called 'imperfections,' we should celebrate our bodies and all they are capable of doing."

On The Early Show Wednesday, Brodey told Maggie Rodriguez the survey "points out that people really do have all of these secret feelings about "I'm too fat, I'm too overweight, everybody's looking at me, I don't look good.' "

Brodey added, "It's all sort of the outside look, how I look outside, and we should be focusing more inward. In 2008, that's my resolution. That's what we talk about all the time at Fitness is, 'Don't think about the outside. Think of this as a long-term goal.' "

The women saying they'd rather lose 20 pounds than live to be 100, she told Rodriguez, points to "the idea that, 'I want to look good right now. Is there a magic pill? What can I do?' Instead of thinking long-term. A lot of what w see at Fitness is, women getting older, age 40 and up, 45 and up, do think about the long-term health benefits of staying at a proper weight and exercising. But when you're younger, you think, 'Heck, who cares about 100? Right now, I want to look good, this minute.' "

"Basically," Brodey observed, "I think anybody who looks at a lot of dieters will tell you the younger you are, the more you want it now. "I want a bikini body, I want to fit into my skinny jeans.' And, as you age, you think there's a lot more going on here. 'I don't want any aches or pains. I want to feel more energetic,' (though) you want to look good in your skinny jeans, as well."

Brodey concluded, "I think the survey, in general, points out that women just want to confess. They want to somehow feel that they're not alone, and if we can keep talking about all of these worries that we have ... the more they will think, 'Hey, I'm not alone. I can do this. I don't need a magic pill.' "