Are you happywith your body?

Discussion
You bump into a woman friend in town. You knew she was thinking of having breast implants and you
can see that she has obviously had the operation.What do you say to her?
rl. Nothing. It's too embarrassing.
b. "\7ow. Those look great! How much did they cost?"
c. "Wow. I'n"rsurprisedyou can stand up straight!"
d. Somethingelse.
ls plastic surgery popular in your country? ls it expensive?
Do you think peoplewho have plasticsurgery are too concernedabout their looks?

Reading
Readthrough the articleand answerthis question:
Is there tt similar trend in your country?

YOUNGER PLASTIC SURGERY PATIENTS

Surgeonsat clinics specialisingin plasticsurgery
are reporting increasingly younger patients,
according to a report releasedrecently by the
National Association of Plastic Surgery in the
United States.
"They
want to look like the people they see in
films or the models they see in magazines.It's
becoming an obsession,"said one doctor in a
beautyclinic in California."Last week we had a
woman in here who, at 30, said she was looking
too old and wanted a facelift. I told her to come
back and seeme in 15 years."
The averageage for patientsundergoingplastic
surgeryover the last year was 32, down from 34
just the year before.In Englandrecently,a 15-
year-oldgirl was in the news for announcingthat
her parents were going to pay for breast
enlargementsas her 16th birthday present.
Her mother said, "If it makes her happy and
gives her more chance of successin life, then
what is the problem?" Though women still
dominate the plastic surgery scene, men are
growing increasingly concerned with their
physical appearanceand are doing something
about it. According to the report,men now make
tp 39Vaof all surgeriesperformed - that's an
increaseof nearly 20Vofrom last year.
One man, who wished to remain anonymous,
said he got his liposuction - removal of excess
fat - after pressurefrom his wife. "She's a very
athleticwoman and, well,I enjoy a good steak."
Liposuction tops the list of plastic surgery
performed on men, followed by hair implants
and breastreduction.For women the top order is
still breastenlargement,followed by liposuction
and facelifts.

Readthrough the articleagain and answer these questions:

l. Why arc younger peopleturning to plasticsurgery?
2. Why did the cloctorrefuseplasticsurgeryto one patienr?
3. Why is plasticsurgerynow more popular with men?
4. Whv c-lidthc man have liposuction?

Discussion
Do you think the number of men who want plastic surgery will eventuallyequal, or even surpass, the
number of women?
Read again what the mother of the 1S-year-old
girl said. Do you agreewith her?

24 Are you happy with your body? Taboosand /ssues

Language
Match these types of plastic surgery solutions to the problems below:
breast enlargement rhinoplasty (nosejob) facelift
bair impldnt uaricoseuein remctudl tummy tuck

1. "This thing on my faceis an atrocity.I'm
surprisedbirds don't sit on it or that lightning
doesn'tstrike it in thunderstorms."
2. "1 hirtethem. I can't wear shortsor a bikini
becausethey stick olrt, especiallyon the back
They're the ugliestthings I've
of my tl-righs.
ever seenand they'regettingworse everyyear
bccauscI havc bad circulation."
"l
3. startedrecedingreally badly at the age of
23. My wife saysshe doesn'tmind, but I hate
it. I meirn,I'm not completelybald or anything,
but I constantlywear hats and baseballcaps
beciruscI'm so self-consciousabout it. I could
ncvcr wcar a wlg.
4. "l hate being flat-chested.The boys at school
'ironing-board'.Imagine!
usedto call me
I think I have a pretty face but I don't feel
confident about myself from the chin down.
I would like to feel good about wearing a tight
sweateror a low-cut dress."
"l usedto have such a youthful, vibrant-
5.
looking face.Now my skin just sags.I think
I look twice my age."
6. "No matter what I do, my belly sticksout.
I think it has somethingto do with my posturc.
If I could just get a flat stomach,I wouldn't
feel so bad about looking at myselfsidewaysin
the mirror."

Which of the above treatments are most popular in your country? Are there any other ones that were not
mentioned?
lf you had the problems above and plenty of money, would you have the surgery? Tell your partner what
you would do for each problem.

Discussion
ln a survey of 37,500girls aged 12 to 15, more than half listed appearanceas their biggestworry.
What do you think is the reason for this? ls it a worrying statistic?
Are you happy with your size and weight? ls there a part of your body that you would like to change
(i.e.make smaller,make bigger)?
Here is an alternativepoint of view from a culture where people take a different view of size:
" l m u s t e a t s o l ' l l b e f a t a n d p e o p l ew o n ' t l a u g ha t m y f i g u r e , "e x p l a i n so n e o f t h e
" N o b o d y w i l l m a r r ym e i f
w o m e n i n a f a t t e n i n gr o o m i n C a l a b a rS , o u t h e r nN i g e r i a .
I don't get fatter."Women come from all over Nigeriato put on extra poundsat these
"They will
fatteningrooms. "We can make any woman obese," boaststhe owner.
g e t a h u s b a n da f t e rt h e i r s t a yh e r e ,n o p r o b l e m . "T h e w o m e n e a t a l l d a y a n d a v o i d
m o v i n gs o t h e y d o n ' t b u r n o f f a n y c a l o r i e s ". l t ' s a b i t t i r i n g e a t i n ga l l t h e t i m e , b u t I
k n o w w h e n l c o m e o u t l w i l l b e a t t r a c t i v eh, e a l t h va n d b e a u t i f u l , "s a i dt h e w o m a n
we spoketo.
Do you think it will be fashionableto be fat one day?

Taboosand /ssues Are you happy with your body?