Report finds sizable chunk of Latter-day Saints are turning to cosmetic surgery
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
A sizable portion of Latter-day Saints are going under the knife to enhance their appearances, according to a new study.
The big picture: About 14% of more than 1,400 Latter-day Saints surveyed by Utah State University's Utah Women & Leadership Project said they underwent major cosmetic surgery, while 20% said they got less drastic procedures.
- Breast and buttock augmentations, tummy tucks and liposuction were the most common major procedures.
- Laser hair removal, chemical peels and Botox injections were among the most frequent minor enhancements.
- For comparison, about 4% of Americans have reported cosmetic surgery.
What they found: Researchers set out to see the impacts religion could have on the development of body image.
- "Within the state of Utah, including young adults at BYU, individuals are regularly engaging with cosmetic surgery or enhancements to improve appearance, despite prophetic guidance to not be obsessed with 'nipping or tucking,'" researchers wrote.
- Nearly half of churchgoers said modesty teachings hurt their body image, compared to about 30% who said it had a positive impact.
The intrigue: Wealthy Latter-day Saints and those with the highest "religious salience" were more likely to get cosmetic surgery, per the report.
Between the lines: Utah's capital employs more plastic surgeons per capita than image-focused Los Angeles, researchers noted.
- Homogenous communities, including Utah, where a large portion of residents are white and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, can pressure some people to have such procedures.
What they're saying: In a positive shift, BYU professor and second author of the study Lauren Barnes told Axios that the church has moved from telling women to cover up to more principle-based teachings.
Notably, the church does not have an official stance on cosmetic surgery for its members, according to its website.
.