The revelation that nearly half of secondary school girls would undergo plastic surgery to improve their looks is “disturbing but unsurprising”, the head of the Girls’ Schools Association has said. Responding to research by the Girl Guides, Jill Berry said that media portrayals of women were partly to blame for girls’ dissatisfaction with their appearance. Ms Berry said it was up to those working with girls to raise self-esteem by encouraging them to take up hobbies that push them out of their comfort zone. “They need to stop feeling guilty about not being perfect”, she said.