Not backhanded compliments at all. Yes, she's had work. But yes, she looks great for it.
Threads like this are helpful IMO because it helps inject a bit of realism into what is really behind being extremely thin, yet having a plump and youthful face.
Absolutely no criticism here. I would do the same if I could, and I would certainly do it with her money and the pressure she's under/ exposure she gets.
What's also interesting is that so many posters think it's critical of Kate to point out she's had work done. It's not - just as it's not critical to say she dyes her hair, or she wears makeup. The fact is, "tweakments" such as Botox are very, very, common now, and in celebrity circles you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who's treatment-free over 35.
But for some reason people still associate having work done with the Leslie Ash lips or frozen Courtney Cox face of decades ago. Things have moved on so much since then. And Kate is a good example of how very natural work can still kid people into believing she's had nothing done - even when old photos exist to prove the contrary.
If everyone was a bit more honest about Botox and fillers then I think the scales would fall from people's eyes. But there's still a bit of a stigma attached to it (as this thread proves!) which is why people are still less willing to admit to it than they are willing to admit to, say, having their roots done or their eyelashes tinted.