Breast Augmentation: Is It Worth It?
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Steroid use is no longer confined to teenage boys bulking up to make the varsity football team -- more and
more girls are using drugs, such as muscle-building steroids and body-shaping diet pills, in an attempt to
achieve the perfect body. Others, influenced by TV shows, such as The Swan and Extreme Makeover, are
turning to cosmetic surgery. Frighteningly, although breast augmentation is not FDA-approved for anyone
younger than 18, the use of this procedure recently tripled among 18-year-old girls. Do our young women
really feel the need to go to such extreme measures to feel acceptable?
Self-conscious adolescents always have been uncomfortable with the way they look, but these new trends
are dangerous. According to Nathaniel Branden, PhD, author of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (Bantam),
there are clear, well-established paths to build self-esteem in young people and help them feel better about
themselves -- and they don't involve drugs or cosmetic surgery.
RECENT FINDINGS
In a study of more than 4,100 teens in 13 Oregon school districts, Linn Goldberg, MD, professor of medicine
and head of the Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University
(OHSU) in Portland, discovered that...
34% of girls who were not involved in athletics used nonsteroid body-shaping drugs, such as diet pills,
amphetamines, methamphetamine or pseudoephedrine (compared with 23% of boys).
23% of athletic girls used nonsteroid body-shaping drugs while only 18% of boys did.
3% of girls used muscle-building steroids (6% of boys did). Dr. Goldberg adds that some states have more
serious problems with steroid use, with rates as high as 12%.
The health consequences of using these substances can be severe, ranging from high blood pressure,
heart disease, stroke and liver damage to severe acne, psychological impairment, thinning bones and eating
disorders.
As for breast implants and the like, keep in mind that cosmetic surgery is real surgery. It is painful, and there
are serious risks and complications. Earlier this year, Olivia Goldsmith, author of The First Wives Club, died
after undergoing liposuction. Risks of breast implants include hardening of the breast tissue, rippling in the
skin of the breast, changes in the shape of the breast, leaking, rupture, loss of feeling in the nipples, pain
and infection.
THE RIGHT PATH
Fortunately, there are saner and healthier ways to instill self-esteem in teens. Dr. Branden defines
self-esteem as self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to deal with life's challenges) and self-respect (the
feeling that we are worthy of happiness, achievement and love).
Dr. Branden and Dr. Goldberg offer the following advice for inspiring these important qualities...
From the very beginning, treat your daughter with courtesy, respect and benevolence. This will give her a clear
sense of her own value. In later years, when she encounters peer pressure or abusive behavior, she'll
recognize it as unacceptable.
Dr. Branden observes that we often send girls the wrong message: We compliment their appearance rather
than their actions, equating their value with beauty. He strongly advises parents to teach their daughters to
value and respect themselves because of who they are, not how they look.
Limit as best you can your daughter's exposure to sex and violence in the media. This is mental poison, says
Dr. Branden. Watch TV with your kids, and teach them how to interpret the propaganda.
Parents are much too eager to be popular with their children, rather than taking responsibility. It's okay to say
"no" to allowing your girls to follow certain "inappropriate" fashion trends, just because "everyone else is
doing it." Be a parent, not a friend, advises Dr. Branden. It's frightening for a child to think that no one is flying
the plane.
When your teen speaks to you, listen to him/her. Don't jump in and finish her sentences, or interrupt her to
criticize. Likewise, encourage her problem-solving abilities, and don't give into the temptation to tell her the
right answer or the right way to solve every problem.
Dr. Goldberg notes that substance use is often linked with depression and poor self-image. He encourages
regular exercise to build self-efficacy and notes that strength training -- pumping iron -- gives girls a special
sense of empowerment.
With funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Goldberg has developed a school-based,
team-centered prevention program for girls called ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition
Alternatives). This peer-taught program is for female athletes who participate on middle and high school
sports, dance and cheerleading teams. Its goal is to reduce the prevalence of eating disorders and use of
body-shaping and other drugs while promoting healthy nutrition and exercise.
If you suspect that something is wrong -- if your daughter diets continually, is too thin, spends a long time in
the bathroom after meals or stops menstruating -- Dr. Goldberg recommends that you sit down with her for a
calm, frank and open discussion. If there appears to be a problem with substance use or an eating disorder,
take her to see your health-care provider. Most importantly, love your children and make them feel every day
like the special gifts they are.
