Learn more about the psychological impact of puberty and media images on adolescent girls.
It's no secret that adolescent girls (indeed, most women) have issues with their bodies. Nor is it classified information that physically attractive women are often more quickly accepted or seem to have an easier time than those who are not. Appearances, although not everything, are a measure by which people make judgments.
For most girls, dissatisfaction with their body starts with puberty. Puberty begins when the pituitary gland starts to secrete gonadotrophins and the gonads, under their influence, begin to release sex hormones, usually at about age 11 1/2 for white girls, a year younger for black girls.
One of the first indications that puberty has arrived is a sudden spurt in growth and the start of breast development.
With the subsequent accumulation of fat on hips and thighs, plus the emotional changes that characterize puberty, this dramatic time of life can make a young girl dissatisfied with how her body looks.
A young girl's perspective on the body image she projects
can be compounded by teenagers' lack of perspective. Although
black and Hispanic girls seem to have a more realistic image
of themselves than do white girls,
no population group seems to be immune.
The teen girl who fears she will be shorter than everybody else may not realize that short girls complete their growth later than taller girls. A formerly slim girl developing the rounded contours of womanhood may think she is doomed to obesity unless she lives in a state of near-starvation or exercises compulsively. And because children advance to adulthood at their own genetically determined pace, comparing themselves to their peers is a fruitless effort.
The adolescent girl also enters a dangerous realm if she strives to attain the unrealistic goals modeled by magazine, TV, and movie idols. (Idealized fashion models weigh 23% less than the average female!) Concerns about physical appearance can sometimes contribute to eating disorders. More often, self-esteem suffers. This lack of confidence can cascade through other areas of her life affecting, for example, social interactions with others.
Some teens consider cosmetic surgery to be their way out of this angst. Statistics on those who do can vary from one organization to another. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that in 2000, 2.5% of all cosmetic procedures were performed on children 18 years of age or younger; the American Society for Plastic Surgeons reports that number to be 4%. Less than one-third of the procedures required invasive surgery; the majority were noninvasive. The most common type of surgery: rhinoplasty, i.e., your basic nose job. The most common nonsurgical procedure: a chemical peel.
Numerous ethical questions have been raised regarding adolescents undergoing surgery. Cosmetic surgery might help a girl feel better about herself. Or it can set her up for a fall. The results may not be what she envisioned, or her new looks may not fit later if her body continues to grow. Moreover, the lack of self-esteem that propelled her into plastic surgery may stem from other things going wrong in her life.
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