Plastic Surgery Addiction

"Body dysmorphic disorder" may be relatively common

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me just say that I have had absolutely nothing done to my body (if it isn’t already obvious), not even one Botox injection or anti-aging serum facial mask. Certain people (but not my husband) probably think I need to do plenty, from a tummy tuck (to correct my post-hysterectomy lower belly) to a few liposuction sessions in some target areas. Although I try not to judge other women who seem to need to “improve” their bodies surgically, I personally strive to stay 100% natural and to enjoy and embrace the curvy, rubenesque body that God gave me to the best of my abilities.

Here are a few interesting statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery:

• Almost 2.5 million Botox procedures were performed last year.
• Botox has been the most popular cosmetic procedure since 2000.
• Liposuction was the second most popular surgical cosmetic procedure in 2008, with 341,144 procedures performed.

As I was reading press releases from the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (held in Las Vegas from May 2-7), a few questions kept popping up for me:

• Are some patients clearly addicted to plastic surgery?
• Is there a particular personality trait or characteristic that plastic surgeons can look for that might help them ascertain who is vulnerable to this addiction/disorder (before they have had a string of surgeries)?
• Is plastic surgery addiction on the rise? If so, what is this attributable to?

Their media office didn’t reply to my email queries, but I was able to get some statistics on this from another plastic surgery society—the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In a 2003 press release, they note that for a small minority of people, their desire for plastic surgery may be driven by an obsession or psychological disorder. And to this society’s credit, it sounds like they are truly trying to help plastic surgeons better identify patients who may not be good candidates for plastic surgery. How small is this “minority” of people?

“Approximately seven to 15 percent of people requesting plastic surgery suffer from body dysmorphic disorder,” according to David Sarwer, PhD, of the Center for Human Appearance at the University of Pennsylvania. (Body dysmorphic disorder is a preoccupation with a slight or imagined defect in appearance.) “These patients are convinced they will feel better about themselves after the surgery, but they actually feel the same, if not worse,” says Sarwer.

If you add those people to the individuals who are profoundly depressed or have substance abuse problems, Sarwer explains, then you are potentially talking about 15-20% of surgery candidates whose motivation for surgery warrants careful attention.

I hate to sound overly simplistic, but could the impetus for plastic surgery be that we live in a society that tends to stress what’s on the outside rather than what’s on the inside?

I’m sure the celebrities who women today use as physical role models don’t help, as many of them have had plenty of procedures and use other extreme measures to achieve and maintain their iconic physiques. There is an irony in our society today—scary skinny is “in,” but so are big breasts and bodacious booties.

Guess what, everyone? The only way to have one with the other is to artificially create the big breasts and/or booty once you’ve gone to extreme and dangerous measures to become scary skinny if you aren’t naturally so. Is this really what we as a society want to raise up as our ideal, particularly to our young girls and granddaughters? As the mother of two teenage girls, I would like to scream a resounding, “NO!”

Where I live, I have definitely seen many women around me who would qualify as being "addicted," or something similar, to altering their appearances. What is driving this addiction? Their obsession with perfection? Is it unhappiness within that leaves them vulnerable to this obsession? If so, wouldn’t they be better served to work on this internal unhappiness? I liken this to putting all of your money and effort into making sure the exterior of your car looks all shiny and perfect instead of fixing what’s really keeping your car from running smoothly—like the engine.


By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
The Recipe Doctor Blog