Body Wars: 5 ways to defeat culture's lies & make your daughter feel as beautiful as she is

My friend Barb recently asked her daughter what she wanted for her high-school graduation gift. But she wasn't at all prepared for Tessa's request: "I want my breasts enlarged!" Barb couldn't believe what she heard. Positive that Tessa would ask for something extravagant—a diamond ring, a laptop computer, or a trip to the ocean—Barb braced herself (but not for breast augmentation)! Tessa had a lovely figure. Her weight was normal; she was healthy and beautiful. Recently crowned Homecoming Queen, Tessa was a popular honor-roll student. Why would she even consider cosmetic surgery?

Tessa is not alone. According to a recent poll in United Kingdom—based teen magazine Bliss, only one-tenth of the girls polled were happy with their bodies, and 40 percent have considered plastic surgery. The magazine's editor, Chantelle Horton, considers the poll results a "21st-century tragedy." The pressure to have a perfect body is strong. Photographers touch up photos of celebrities and models, leading us to believe that body perfection is attainable. Television reality shows like Extreme Makeover and MTV's I Want a Famous Face encourage teens to pursue cosmetic surgery to look like their favorite movie stars or trade their "imperfections" for flawless features.

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