Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to explore among young adults whether celebrity worship
predicted the incidence of elective cosmetic surgery within the period of 8 months after controlling for
several known predictors of elective cosmetic surgery.
Methods: A total of 137 young adults completed questionnaire measures of attitudes toward a celebrity
whose body image they admired, previous and vicarious experience of elective cosmetic surgery, attitudes
toward cosmetic surgery, and a range of psychological and demographic measures at time 1. Participants
were then asked to report whether they had undergone elective cosmetic surgery 8 months later.
Results: After controlling for several known predictors of elective cosmetic surgery, intense-personal celebrity
worship of a celebrity whose body shape was admired by the participant predicted the incidence of
elective cosmetic surgery within an 8-month period.
Conclusions: The current findings suggest that the type of para-social relationship that young adults form
with celebrities, particularly with those whose body shape is admired, may need to be considered by those
when speaking to, and educating, young people about their choices around elective cosmetic surgery
