Kate Winslet calls cosmetic surgery culture ‘terrifying’ as she speaks out on beauty pressure

Kate Winslet has sharply criticised the growing culture around cosmetic procedures and weight-loss drugs, calling the current beauty landscape “terrifying” and “devastating” for young women.

In a recent interview with The Times, the Oscar-winning actress said the rise of injections and aesthetic treatments has led to a generation of women feeling pressured to look the same.

“It is terrifying,” Winslet said. “It is devastating. If a person’s self-esteem is so bound up in how they look, it is frightening.”

The 50-year-old actress said she values seeing women dressed however they choose and in every body shape, but expressed concern that “so many people” now turn to weight-loss medications and cosmetic procedures in the pursuit of a narrow idea of beauty.

“Some are making choices to be themselves, others do everything they can to not be themselves,” she said. “And do they know what they are putting in their bodies? The disregard for health is terrifying.”

Winslet also warned that the pressure is not limited to celebrities, noting that many ordinary people save for cosmetic injections in an attempt to meet unrealistic standards.

“My favourite thing is when your hands get old,” she added. “That is life, in your hands. Some of the most beautiful women I know are over 70. What upsets me is that young women have no concept of what being beautiful actually is.”

The actress said social media has played a major role in shaping these expectations, blaming digital platforms for promoting a version of perfection that is both damaging and unattainable.

“It is heartbreaking,” she said. “Nobody is really looking into the real world anymore.”

Winslet has previously spoken about ageing naturally and said she believes women grow more beautiful as they get older, as their faces carry more life and history.

Aasiya Nazir