A growing number of teenage girls are seeking breast implants or other plastic surgery. They have poor physical self images. They are dissatisfied with their looks and constantly seek ways to hone and perfect themselves. They have been influenced by what they see in magazines, on television, in movies, on the internet, in advertisements and on work-out videos. The images that are burned into their brains are not realistic. They are people who have been enhanced by plastic surgery, photo-shopping, air brushing, perfect makeup, wardrobe, falsies, duct tape and good lighting. And we as adult women and mothers are allowing it to happen.
What we should be doing is helping our daughters be happy with who they are and with what nature gave them. We should project and reinforce a positive image of natural women who need no artifice or surgery to be beautiful. We should tell them how beautiful they are inside and out just as they are and try to take the emphasis off physical perfection. Mothers can help them to focus on developing their talents their minds or hobbies and keep them busy and involved in as many activities as possible.
As for dieting and weight consciousness ...Focus on fitness, not looks. Telling her to keep active so that she's attractive just encourages the self-objectification that underlies eating disorders. Instead, encourage daily physical activity so she stays fit. That your daughter is active in sports at school is terrific. If you can also keep her active at home, that's even better. How? Participate with her. Take a dance class together, do yoga together, take walks or bike together.
I realize all this is easy to say in the face of peer pressure. Physical perfection and weight control seems to be a constant topic of discussion from junior high school, among girls of eleven and twelve, and up.
We have made a grave mistake exposing them to all the thousands of images of artificially beautiful women and making them feel that looking like them is the only way to happiness, success and more importantly, social acceptance.
Most doctors say that breast augmentation at too young an age can be unsatisfying over the long term. First, the chest wall and breast tissues can still be growing and maturing. The insertion of a large-ish implant under immature tissues can actually cause atrophy and thinning of the overlying tissues, leading to faster fatigue of the tissues and loss of elasticity and also stunt any further natural growth which may have taken place. Second, psychologically the young patient hasn't lived in her skin for very long in an adult state, so expectations about surgical results are totally unrealistic. The doctors suggest that girls wait until their mid twenties before they make such an important decision.
Perhaps seeing a lady from the other side of the breast implant issue might give your teen pause to ponder
World’s Largest Natural Breasts
Norma Stitz has the largest assets in the world.
Annie Hawkins-Turner also known as Norma Stitz won the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest natural breasts. She used her large assets to get into the porn industry. Her breast size is 102ZZZ and each of her breasts weighs over 56 pounds each.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Masters of Science. But the first thing people notice is her upper frontal equipment. How can they not? Norma's life has been so compromised by her chest size and weight that she would love to be free of her burden. They are heavy and uncomfortable. She has difficulty reaching for anything or working on anything with her hands. She can't see past her breasts to sit close to the table and eat, to type, to cook, sew, knit....you name it. Her breasts pull her forward and down and she has back aches. Her breasts can't be supported because her shoulders could not take the strain or pain. Getting comfortable in bed is impossible. And she is always aware of her breasts. They get in the way of everything and have become the bane of her existence.
Get your girls to take a second look at themselves and they might be grateful they do not have the same problems as Norma.
