Yes

by Mark Mukasa

Created on: December 31, 2010   Last Updated: January 02, 2011

The issue of body image is perhaps one of the most recurring and topical issues of the past few decades. We are constantly discussing the effects of the unrealistic expectations that the media and/or society places on people (particularly teenagers) to have the perfect body, perfect hair and conform to the latest fashion. With this in mind, it is no wonder that many assume that the unrealistic expectations have often driven people to undergo plastic surgery. The statistics worldwide seem to suggest that many people are unsatisfied with their bodies. According to a study conducted in late 2007 by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) around 48% of American women and 23% of men say that they want cosmetic surgery. A further 23% of women and 17% of men say that they would be possibly interested. This has important ramifications for not only adults, but teenagers. A study carried out in 2004 found that 6 out of 10 British teenage girls were unsatisfied with their bodies. Many have claimed that a growing amount of teens have been undertaking plastic surgery at an alarming rate, with reports of girls as young as thirteen requesting breast augmentation (she was refused ultimately).

Obviously I am not supporting the view that girls as young as thirteen can opt into a surgery and modify their bodies: it does not make any sense as they are still growing and they likely do not have the capacity to decide on such a decision. But let us examine what exactly constitutes a teenager.  A teenager is considered to be a person within the ages of thirteen to nineteen. During those years, the teenager goes through a massive development both physically and perhaps more importantly; psychologically (of course it may not feel like it!).  Yes, the aforementioned thirteen year old should probably not be allowed to undergo augmentation, but in the case of a sixteen year old or seventeen year old, then why not? At later stages of adolescence, many start to develop a greater awareness and intelligence and can evaluate decisions more so than when they were younger. Many of us agree that a teenager should be able to pick the subjects to study at High school, which could have drastic effects later on in life. We agree that young people can pick hobbies, activities and join groups that can all impact their life later on. Plastic surgery carries a similar magnitude in some cases. But are there any real reasons for allowing the rest of the options but dismissing plastic surgery for teens?

In English medical and family law there is a concept called the ‘Gillick Competency’ (which was formulated by Lord Scarman and Lord Fraser in the landmark Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority case), in which a child under sixteen can consent without parental permission to medical treatment if it is shown that the child has fully understood the ramifications of the treatment. Although the decision has proved to be contentious in conjunction with subsequent cases, the principle and reasoning from it is highly applicable to this debate. If it can be shown that a teenager has fully understood that plastic surgery is potentially permanent and can pose health risks, then are there any good reasons to disallow teenagers from seeking plastic surgery? They can already occasionally refuse or consent to medical treatment, so why not plastic surgery?

Furthermore, why is it somewhat immoral that a teenager may not seek plastic surgery but then adults may be permitted to do so? Of course one could argue that teenagers are lacking in intelligence and wisdom, but this merely paints an ugly generalisation that is not representative of the entire population of teenagers in this world. There are many adults who are able to make poor decisions which are not prohibited merely because they have reached an age threshold. Why is this? We know that many adults we will encounter in life are not wise enough to steer clear from potentially risky or destructive behaviour – but yet, we do not try to stop them based upon age. It is my belief that age is not an accurate indicator of maturity all the time. Wisdom and intelligence transcend age. While I do not think it would be right for us to allow all ages of children to have unrestrained autonomy, when a teenager has reached a degree of wisdom and intelligence (that would be judged by medical experts), there are no real logical objections to this.

Another issue that must be raised is that of individual autonomy.  Society seems to have a love-hate relationship with the principle of autonomy. We value individual freedom but yet attempt to restrain it if we disagree with the act being pursued. Granted, this is sometimes beneficial if the act is detrimental to society or likely to harm another, but where does plastic surgery fit in this?  Of course we hear a lot about the people addicted to plastic surgery like Jocelyn Wildenstein (Google her at your own risk) or the late Michael Jackson who disfigure their bodies in an attempt to seek a misguided vision of perfection and whilst there might be an argument for intervention in cases like this, but for the most part cases like this are relatively rare. So the question must be asked, who is plastic surgery hurting in most cases? Whilst it may be regrettable that some children might feel the need for plastic surgery instead of being happy with their own bodies, but in the end if we deny the right of teenagers to seek plastic surgery aren’t we imposing our moral desires on an act that doesn’t really harm anyone substantially?

So if we acknowledge that teenagers can have a reasonable standard of capacity to undertake very difficult decisions and also acknowledge that they should have a degree of autonomy, then what reason should we deny them?

I think that it would probably be best to foster a sense of self-esteem in teenagers, as both boys and girls are bombarded with images of what they should look like rather than how they should develop themselves emotionally or academically. We should be telling our daughters, sisters and friends that they are beautiful and “amazing just the way they are” (to paraphrase one of Bruno Mars’ songs) and do not need to drastically lose weight (unless necessary for health) or change their look to fit what the media says. We should be telling our sons, brothers and friends that they are handsome and do not need to bulk up unnecessarily to fit bodybuilder like standards. I admit, we should try boosting self-esteem first. But, if an adolescent who has reasonably considered what he/she will be undergoing and the effects of it, has been provided with proper consultation and has been judged to be intelligent and knowledgeable enough, then I think we should respect that person’s decisions. It might not be what we would want for a teenager and the thought might make us uncomfortable, but it is imperative to respect the rights and choices of people; whatever their age may be.

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