From Apple-sized to Melons
One Saturday morning in New York City, Sarah was out with her mother to go shopping. They were sitting in a relatively empty Subway train (for New York standards). In front of them was an advertisement for breast augmentation with two pictures of a woman on it. The woman held fruits in place of her breasts. If you were in the NY Subway lately you have seen it for sure.
“How is it legal to advertise breast augmentation in the subway?” the mother asked in a lightly disgusted voice. “This is so inappropriate and this doesn’t belong in a subway train!”
Sarah was tapping on her smartphone. She replied, “But mom, that’s really no big deal.”
“Yes it is my dear. It’s a bad influence for the teenage girls who take the subway. This just is not something you should advertise.”
“Why? Plastic surgery is not a bad thing,” she paused, “and why shouldn’t you do it if you have issues with your breasts?”
“You should accept yourself the way you are and beauty does not depend on the size of your breasts,” her mother insisted. “You aren’t thinking about doing this, are you?”
Now Sarah put down her phone and looked up at her mother,“Well yes I have sometimes. I think it is a good thing if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
“But what about the risks? It can come out really bad. There are many cases of women with complications after a breast augmentation.”
Sarah tried to convince her. “Today there are good plastic surgeons,” she insisted, “and there are more good results than bad ones. You should not choose your doctor based on the costs of the surgery. Obviously good surgery has its price.”
“That may be true, but even the best surgeons can make mistakes too. It’s good that we have the medical techniques and possibilities. But you just should use it if you have medical issues. Large breast can cause pain in the back. But breast augmentation is just cosmetic.”
“No I insist, because small breasts can also be a real issue causing depression. Well we have a different opinion. But I think it should be well considered and not decided easily,” Sara said trying to get the last word, “and it’s necessary to do some good research before.”
