Women Reveal Body Image Views

The month of January is often the time when health clubs and gyms become crowded with people who've resolved to lose some weight.

Ladies' Home Journal decided to conduct a non-scientific survey on women and body image. They surveyed 900 women who bared their souls on the topic through the magazine's Web site. Questions ranged from whether or not the women would choose breast enhancement surgery over a new kitchen, to asking how many women admit dieting is a way of life. The results were revealing and, in some cases, amusing.

Ladies' Home Journal's editor-in-chief Diane Salvatore explained the results of the body image poll on The Early Show.

Salvatore says the women polled on the Web site were mostly married and reflected the national averages for height and weight (about 5-foot, 4 inches and about 150 pounds). She says the results suggest that women who weigh less have higher self-esteem. In fact, a woman's weight seems to be a bigger driver than age.

From the online survey, roughly one out of three women said they are currently on a diet. But, according to Salvatore, being on a diet isn't the only measure of body acceptance. When Ladies' Home Journal asked those polled if they'd rather hit the beach in a thong or have root canal, 75 percent said they'd rather head to the dentist.

Salvatore says those who weigh 141 to 150 pounds are more likely to be on a diet than those who weigh more (or less), maybe because they feel they have a shot at losing the weight.

When given the choice between a facelift or a refurbished kitchen, 78 percent of the women surveyed picked the kitchen.

And finally, on a scale from one to 10, how did women rate their bodies?

Forty-three percent rated themselves between 6 and 9. One percent said they were perfect. Five percent gave themselves lower scores and 20 percent said they rank somewhere in the middle at 5.