Making the Cut….

A reflective activity on the use and misuse of cosmetic surgery

By Linda McFadden and Chelsea McKeown

Am I good enough?

U.S doctors carried out almost 10 million

cosmetic procedures in 2009.

Herald Sun.com.au March 25th 2010

Fact

Why?

What is Cosmetic Surgery ?

There are 2 types of surgery designed toalter your appearance :

• Cosmetic Surgery : designed to change your appearance in the hope of looking better.

• Reconstructive Surgery : designed to help people whose appearance is affected by birth defects or accidents.

Discuss examples of both in your table groups

COSMETIC SURGERY: BEFORE AND AFTER

RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY:

BEFORE AND AFTER

Some people use cosmetic surgery because they just want

to look ‘normal’. Others use cosmetic surgery to not look

‘normal’ …….to stand out from the crowd.

Normal in the eyes of who?

333,000 people who were 18 years and younger

had cosmetic surgery in 2005, up from 306,000 in

2000.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/

Fact

Why do we do what we

do?

CELEBRITIES: Famous people become the measure of what is

attractive. The influence of celebrities in our lives has meant that the view of real

beauty is distorted.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://media.bigoo.ws/content/image/celebrities_male/celebrities_male_117.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bigoo.ws/Images/celebrities-male/14-6-1246.htm&usg=__k3Enyg2g3phe1POdr_3NKg-NSV4=&h=550&w=391&sz=35&hl=en&start=12&zoom=1&tbnid=bY4NHGQrCQQMvM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=95&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcelebrities%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

ADVERTISING: Billboards, TV, Magazines, Radio

advertisements

Anywhere one looks there is an image of “perfection” and advertisements are full of

beautiful people helping to sell a product and in doing so distort

our self image.

CONSUMER CULTURE:

In a world where we can buy anything; we want to buy perfection. Money can

buy beauty!

I WANT IT NOW:

In our modern day fast paced lives, people would rather buy it

than sweat it.

Why exercise and diet when you can have the fat sucked out ?

IDENTITY CRISIS:

We constantly compare ourselves to others. Asking questions such as:

‘Am I good enough?’,‘What’s wrong with me?’

Our self esteem is constantly under attack.

Are we being fooled?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Fact

Human Questions

God’s Answers

•Am I good enough?

•Will they like me?

•What will others think?

• Do I look good?

•Would my life be better if I had…..?

•What will make me happy? Think, pair, share:

What do you think God’s answers would be?

God’s Answers

We are made in the ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ of God.Genesis 1:26

See, I have engraved you in the palms of my hands.Isaiah 49:16

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.John 10:10

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food or the body more important than clothes.Matthew 6:25

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:33

How could Scripture help us to solve

contemporary issues?Pick one Scripture quote and reflect on its relevance to our modern day problems associated with cosmetic surgery.

Report back to the group.