Angela Philipps, Gleaner Writer

Are you a young woman who feels like your body is not quite how you want it? Do you wish to change the dimension of your chest, the shape of your nose or the circumference of your thighs and waist? If any of these is the case, why? Do you feel that your confidence levels will rise if you obtain the perfect body measurements, whatever they may be? In your opinion, do you believe that guys will be more attracted to you if your bottom and boobs were of a certain shape and size?

Last week I received the following email:

"I am having a problem. I saw an ad in one of the newspapers which talks about getting your breasts bigger. I am 17 years old and my breasts are as an 11- or 12-year-old whose breasts are just developing. I feel so uncomfortable. None of my peers are faced with this. I have been looking for counsellors' and pastors' websites because I plan to buy the product which was featured in the ad. I don't know if I should really buy it. I am wondering if you can help me. Should I buy the product to make my breasts grow bigger (which is in one month's time) or not? Should I wait until they are ready to develop more?"

I am not a psychologist or a counsellor, nor am I qualified to speak from a medical viewpoint. However, I have experience in being a young single woman. My immediate reaction to the request of this teen is to say to her, "Absolutely no way would I recommend breast enhancement, or any other unnatural bodily change, to anyone, let alone to someone who is at such a youthful age."

I am not saying that I approve of a person who is older doing this, but I suppose that when you're out in the world working and making your own money, and have reviewed all possibilities and consequences, then it really is up to the individual to make that decision.

Unhappy

In the meantime, let's discuss the case in hand. Here we have a girl of 17, who is clearly unhappy with the way her body has developed thus far. I have no idea what product she is talking about that would make her boobs grow bigger, but will she really be satisfied if they do? Has she done her research, for starters? What if there's some other part of her body that 'needs' fixing after this?

Ten years ago I lived with a girlfriend of mine who decided to get breast implants. It was something she'd been thinking about for a long time, and finally she'd raised the funds to have it done. She went to a reputable doctor abroad and went ahead with the procedure. I visited her in the hospital after this major operation and took her home when the hospital released her.

For the next couple of months she was in considerable pain and could not lift anything or participate in sports. I'll admit that she was pleased with the result, but down the line she has regretted that decision and it has made no difference to her self-respect. She had seen other large-breasted women and thought that they got more attention than she did. In her mind she was convinced that men would be more attracted to her if her chest was more prominent. She soon learned that this was not so at all.

I am not implying that the fellows out there don't love to see a bit of cleavage. However, there are MANY other qualities that draw men in, and it's ridiculous to change yourself in that way for anyone. Surely, each of us ought to appreciate what nature gave us. Shouldn't we also be trying to develop our personalities and interests instead? Aren't these the things that matter most? Don't you wish to have a body of self-esteem rather than a body of foreign objects/products inside you?

angelaphilippsja@hotmail.com.