Americans Hate Body Odor

How much do Americans loathe body odor? According to a new survey by Crystal Deodorant, 46% of those surveyed would shave an average of 10 years off of their lives to banish chronic body odor for life.

The survey, which included 1000 men and women ages 18 and older, also found a similarly extreme distaste for others’ offensive body odor. Despite the recession, 32% said they were willing to forgo either a bonus or salary increase in order to avoid a smelly cube mate for a year. And even with high unemployment, some 13% said they would quit their jobs altogether.

“Clearly we expected to find an aversion to body odor. What surprised us was that so many people would take such extreme measures to avoid their own and others’ offensive smells,” said Larry Friedberg, vice president of marketing for Crystal, which is owned by French Transit, Ltd.“There’s an overemphasis in our society on physical appearance. But this survey clearly demonstrates that how we and others smell is under-emphasized.”

The survey also found that Americans would opt to gain an average of 17 pounds to avoid a lifetime of body odor.