The Cosmetic Surgery Industry Is No Different - 1736 Words

In modern America, media dictates opinions of society from the types of clothing worn to the political candidates supported; the cosmetic surgery industry is no different. With popular television shows Extreme Makeover, the general public is inundated with images promoting the use of cosmetic surgery to achieve the societal view of what is beautiful. The stereotypical definition of beauty is vast, but has several common factors, such as: full lips, large breasts, small waists, and curvy hips. For most women, these traits do not come naturally, therefore women feel obligated to spend thousands of dollars and risk their health to undergo cosmetic procedures. Due to the influx of those seeking cosmetic surgery, physicians are looking for†¦show more content†¦40). Three theories that best represent the influence of media on body image are Social Comparison Theory, which shows how individuals appraise themselves by analyzing others, Self-Schema Theory that explains the self-wort h of individuals are established by what is viewed as beneficial, and Self Discrepancy Theory which illustrates that individuals posses a glorified version of themselves (Walker 1+). Although these theories do not explain all of the ways in which media influences the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery, they do support a more clear understanding of the significance of media images. Additionally, in â€Å"Body Image and the Media,† Walker affirms that â€Å"People compare themselves to images, internalize these idealized images as the norm, and absorb the message that they should judge themselves based on their appearance† (1+). The study published in â€Å"An Intervention†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , contemplated that the image of a woman with a slim figure would cause the viewer’s self-appreciation to decline, yet when presented with media fallacies, her self-appreciation would increase (Haas et. al. 405+). Haas postulates that â€Å"Interaction effects and post-hoc ana lyses revealed significant positive changes in the experimental group’s view of their overall boy esteem, sexual