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Believing in Beauty

Rev Kate Bottley on what the world's faiths have to say to society's obsession with beauty.

Our society is obsessed with beauty. One survey showed that the average British woman spends more than 拢2,000 a year on "essential" beauty products while Britons generally spend 拢37 million enrolling for gym membership and fitness classes they never use.

Gogglebox vicar Rev Kate Bottley asks what we understand by beauty. We've all met people with a beach-body and flawless skin who have left us cold. What is the relationship between inner and outer beauty? What do the world's faiths teach about the effect our physical appearance has on our spiritual wellbeing?

Kate visits a gym in Chelsea where celebrity trainer Bradley Simmonds explains why he believes it's important to get a beautiful body. Lifestyle blogger, Grace Francesca Victory advises millions of viewers on her YouTube channel about self acceptance and being body positive.

Country Singer, Sasha McVeigh, wrote the title song for her debut album when she was just 14 in response to the bullying she received at school because of her appearance. Kate also hears from Joanna Jepson who was born with a congenital jaw defect which left her badly disfigured. Her appearance was transformed by surgery in her late teens. Dr Robert Tornambe, one of New York's best-known plastic surgeons, tells Kate that what makes someone beautiful is self-confidence, altruism and optimism.

Religions teach that beauty is a blessing but has little worth unless accompanied by inner beauty. Hindu priest Dr Chetna Kang has a shrine in her London home where she decorates her deity Krishna. As she gazes on the beauty of her God, she says the love between them grows. "Does Krishna see your beauty," asks Kate. "I believe he sees my beauty more than anyone else," she replies.

57 minutes

Last on

Tue 25 Oct 2016 22:00

Broadcast

  • Tue 25 Oct 2016 22:00

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