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Breast augmentation on the rise with college women despite health risks
By Christine Petrozzo
Posted: 11/27/07, 12:26 AM EST Section: Feature
Senior music industry major Tacie VanLiew said she only cares about her boyfriend's opinion.
"I would be a lot sexier if I had larger breasts," said VanLiew, who has an A-cup. "I want to be sexier for my boyfriend, and of course you want the person you are in love with to think you are pretty."
Her boyfriend, Liam Farrell, doesn't understand the logic in his girlfriend's argument and loves her regardless of her breast size.
"My girlfriend's breasts are really nice and fake boobs are gross," Farrell said. "Natural, big boobs are a plus, but nice, small boobs are more desirable than fake ones."
Farrell said he believes the majority of men favor real breasts over synthetic ones. "The people that like fake boobs the most are girls," the senior music industry major said. "They think they look perfect, but they don't feel perfect."
Park reports women with a high ARS score may feel pressured to meet the ideal image projected by the media.
"People who score high on the ARS scale may also feel really pressured to feel like the models and celebrities," Park said. "If we all were living in a social vacuum, people wouldn't feel the need to be perfect and get plastic surgery."
Leon agrees the media plays a role in the rising trend among young women.
"You constantly see breast implants advertisements in teen magazines," Leon said. "There's the models who are stick-thin and long-legged with big boobs and only 5 percent of women can actually have those perfect bodies."
From 2000-06, the number of women who increased their breast size rose 55 percent for all age groups. Three percent of females under the age of 20 contributed to the 329,000 women who opted for breast enhancement surgery in 2006, according to the ASPS.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the silicone gel implants manufactured by Mentor Corp. in November 2006 after banning all silicone implants from the U.S. market in 1992. Silicone gel implants appear more natural, but in the past, there have been reports of complications from women who had the surgery.
"I would be a lot sexier if I had larger breasts," said VanLiew, who has an A-cup. "I want to be sexier for my boyfriend, and of course you want the person you are in love with to think you are pretty."
Her boyfriend, Liam Farrell, doesn't understand the logic in his girlfriend's argument and loves her regardless of her breast size.
"My girlfriend's breasts are really nice and fake boobs are gross," Farrell said. "Natural, big boobs are a plus, but nice, small boobs are more desirable than fake ones."
Farrell said he believes the majority of men favor real breasts over synthetic ones. "The people that like fake boobs the most are girls," the senior music industry major said. "They think they look perfect, but they don't feel perfect."
Park reports women with a high ARS score may feel pressured to meet the ideal image projected by the media.
"People who score high on the ARS scale may also feel really pressured to feel like the models and celebrities," Park said. "If we all were living in a social vacuum, people wouldn't feel the need to be perfect and get plastic surgery."
Leon agrees the media plays a role in the rising trend among young women.
"You constantly see breast implants advertisements in teen magazines," Leon said. "There's the models who are stick-thin and long-legged with big boobs and only 5 percent of women can actually have those perfect bodies."
From 2000-06, the number of women who increased their breast size rose 55 percent for all age groups. Three percent of females under the age of 20 contributed to the 329,000 women who opted for breast enhancement surgery in 2006, according to the ASPS.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the silicone gel implants manufactured by Mentor Corp. in November 2006 after banning all silicone implants from the U.S. market in 1992. Silicone gel implants appear more natural, but in the past, there have been reports of complications from women who had the surgery.
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chris
posted 11/27/07 @ 12:52 PM EST
Great article. We're featuring it today on our "Best of Campus Headlines" at collegenews.com
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