Boob jobs not low self-esteem solution
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Recently, a study was conducted about the psychological effects of breast implants by Cynthia Figueroa-Hass, a clinical assistant professor at UF's College of Nursing.
If you've been on the UF home page lately, you've probably seen a link to an article about the study.
Here's how it went: Figueroa-Haas measured the self-esteem and sexuality of 84 women, ages 21 to 57, with two widely accepted scientific scales. Before participating in the study, the women involved had already scheduled their surgeries and had chosen to get breast implants for purely cosmetic reasons.
Three months after the surgery, those women took the same tests to determine their new levels of self-esteem and sexuality. On average, the scores rose significantly.
Although she feels plastic surgery is not a cure-all for those with low self-esteem, Figueroa-Haas says this demonstrates the "genuine psychological improvements that follow plastic surgery."
Such a claim should not be made lightly.
First of all, the second round of analyses was done three months after the surgery. I wonder how the scores might change after a year or two, once the initial satisfaction wears off. Secondly - and much more importantly - if your self-esteem depends on how you look, then breast implants are only treating the symptom, not the cause, of low self-esteem.
Imagine a guy named Steve. Steve feels bad about himself because he has little string-bean muscles. He decides that he'll feel better if he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, so he starts taking steroids. If you have trouble imagining Steve, take a walk around the weight room at the Southwest Recreation Center.
So, Steve takes the steroids, gets huge and starts to feel great about himself. He's more confident and sexually satisfied. Unfortunately, the steroid solution only temporarily addresses a symptom of his self-esteem problem.
The root cause of whatever dissatisfaction Steve feels is ignored. When all is said and done, his self-esteem is still based on, or at least deeply affected by, his appearance. The real solution would be for Steve to realize what matters in the long run.
Hint: It's not breasts or big muscles. Until he manages to do that, all of his efforts will only put off the inevitable.
There will come a point for Steve, as for the women in this study, when all of science's artificial efforts will not be able to protect them from their own imperfections, and they will have to tackle them head-on.
I'm not saying everyone who gets breast implants is running away from something. But touting the "genuine psychological improvements" that follow from getting breast implants is dangerous. Breast implants cannot improve any psychological problem because they do not address any psychological issue. The rise in self-esteem, like the improved appearance due to implants, is temporary and superficial.
It would be great if you could just take a pill or have some surgery and then feel better about yourself. But it has never worked before, and it will never work. At best, these measures address the physical or chemical symptoms of internal emotional problems. They can buy time, but the root of the problem will demand attention sooner or later.
The longer you wait to address the real problem, the more deeply developed and insurmountable it will seem. So, if you're looking for psychological improvement, it might be better to get some things off your chest rather than adding things to it.
About the Author
Patrick Barrett is a junior majoring in Russian. His column appears on Mondays. in the Floria Alligator
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