We Were Meant to Live for So Much More: Analyzing Body Image, Cosmetic Surgery, and Beauty from a Christian Perspective

Thoughts on the Topic:

Imagine that you are led into a sterile exam room. The walls are plastered with before-and-after shots of those “Beauty and the Beast” patients who chose to take the route of cosmetic surgery. You try to sit gently in the comfortable exam chair in order to avoid making the paper lining crunch too loudly. You wait on the doctor to arrive in the room with a heroic and confident voice saying, “I can make you beautiful!” What if Jesus stepped through the door instead? Would he approve of the enhancement process that you are about to undertake? At least, you would get a real answer to the question, “What would Jesus do?”

Society has unleashed a new set of standards for beauty, and beauty has now become sexualized. The Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls shows how these standards for beauty are evident in many facets of popular culture. The report defines sexualization using four criteria. It occurs when a person is “sexually objectified” or that “person’s value comes from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics” (2). It also occurs when “a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness (narrowly defined) with being sexy” or when “sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a person” (2). Many of the instances where a girl or woman is sexualized go unnoticed and are considered just part of society. The study gives the example of a 5-year-old walking through a mall with a shirt that says “Flirt,” or in a magazine ad, where an older woman is portrayed as a child (2). Both of these instances show that the “distinction between adults and children is blurred, thus sexualizing girlhood” (2). Older women are pressured to look younger and young girls are pressured to look older. The study stated, “If one accepts fashion ‘supermodels’ as representing the culturally accepted standard of idealized female beauty, the ideal age appears to be about 17” (30). There begins to be a blurred and narrow idea of sexualized beauty, and it leaves women longing for something they cannot have.

When a society has such a narrow and highly sexualized definition of beauty, many women feel pressured to obtain the society’s standard of beauty. One way to do this is to resort to cosmetic surgery as a way to achieve a more youthful appearance.

Cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery differ in their purposes, and so it is necessary to define both. According to Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise, cosmetic surgery is defined as, “Surgical techniques used to beautify the body. Sometimes cosmetic surgery is used to reduce psychological suffering, but often it is practiced without good medical reason by people whose prime motive is profit.” Cosmetic surgery procedures include Botox injections, liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks. Reconstructive surgery, however, addresses physical features stemming from and including accidents, burns, congenital defects or reconstruction after breast cancer. The moral acceptability of reconstructive surgery lies in its purpose. The purpose of reconstructive surgery is to fix injuries or defects that will better the life of the patient. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is morally unacceptable due to its purpose. A common adage claims, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Cosmetic surgery aims to fix features that are not broken, but only dissatisfying to the patient, which is why it is morally unacceptable.

Cosmetic surgery rates have skyrocketed in the past five years. Women make up the bulk of cosmetic surgery patients. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery stated that out of nearly 11.5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, women make up 92% of the patients (3). This is not to say that men are not conscious about there bodies, but perhaps women do feel more pressure to change and fix their less than perfect bodies. One instance has been the rise in Botox injections. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, from 2000 to 2005, the number of Botox injections increased from “roughly three quarters of a million to almost 4 million, amounting to a 388% increase” (qtd. in APA 30). Botox is a procedure aimed at making the patient look younger and more vibrant. One study discovered that women, ages 20 to 60, who were shown ads of thin models had more “body-focused anxiety” than when they were exposed to average sized models or no models at all (qtd. in APA 30). Perhaps from this data, one can speculate that the narrow and sexualized definition of beauty pushes more women to pursue cosmetic surgery to fix their imperfections. How does cosmetic surgery fit into the Christian perspective and standards?

The Bible sets forth standards that conflict with the more accepted worldly views. Biblical standards of living and of beauty are often revolutionary or radical when set next to worldly standards. It is important to begin to explore Biblical standards in order to understand whether cosmetic surgery is an appropriate option for Christians.

Many people who seek cosmetic surgery skirt a thin line between wanting to feel good about their bodies and fueling a vain obsession with their own looks. Vanity has become widely accepted standard in society today, and cosmetic surgery only feeds the obsession with one’s body. One glance at our consumer market shows that society places value on being vain. In 2005, “anti-aging” product sales rose over 10 percent in 2005 and totaled 11 billion dollars in sales worldwide (qtd. in APA 30). Cosmetic surgery takes vanity to a whole new level. Cosmetic surgery can become an addicting obsession, and though it is not recognized as a specific addition, Dr. Nancy Etcoff, a Harvard psychologist states, “if something interferes in your life with devastating consequences and [yet] you persist in that activity, that's addiction" (Adato & Harrington). What once started out as vanity, can lead to more severe disorders such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is “a debilitating preoccupation with slight or nonexistent flaws that afflicts 1 to 3 percent of Americans, but up to 15 percent of cosmetic surgery patients” (Adato & Harrington) and this can cause patients to undergo numerous cosmetic procedures to fix a minor problem. Even though this is not a disorder that will affect every cosmetic surgery patient, it seems that cosmetic surgery is often done for self-centered reasons.

The Bible warns against an attitude of vanity, and Christians are to be other-centered rather than self-centered. In Philippians 2:3-4, it states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not look only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others” (NIV). When cosmetic surgery is employed to make oneself better than another, it violates Biblical standards. If a woman gets cosmetic surgery to look youthful, she is comparing herself to both the women in her peer group as well as younger women. She does not want to look “old” like other women in her peer group, and an internal beauty contest ensues. This would qualify as something done through “selfish ambition.” The idea of vanity comes down to what motives lie behind the decision to get plastic surgery. In the end, Proverbs 21:2 sums this up by saying, “We justify our actions by appearances. God examines our motives” (MSG).

The cost behind cosmetic surgery is another issue to look at under a Biblical microscope. The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) found that Americans spent 12 billion dollars on both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic surgeries in 2006 (11). The most inexpensive procedure done is lip augmentation and its cost weighs in at about $1,700. This figure represents only the fee for the physician or the surgeon (11). The most expensive surgery, a lower body lift, rakes in about $7,000 dollars for the doctor (11). The average cost for the 22 most common surgical procedures is just shy of $4,000. These figures do not include the anesthesiologist, time off, or any other expenses that might be incurred by a patient. Non-surgical procedures are not cheap either. They range from $160 for a microdermabrasion to $2,300 for laser skin resurfacing (ASAPS 11). Often, these non-surgical procedures have to be performed numerous times to get the desired effect, and even then, it might only be a temporary fix. Since cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by insurance, the money comes directly out of the patient’s pocket.

Some patients have gone into debt to achieve the perfect look. The article “Obsessed with Plastic Surgery,” shows four individuals who went into debt to have cosmetic surgery work done. The article interviewed Twila Solari, a 44 year-old woman, who has spent over $150,000 in 25 years on cosmetic surgery procedures. Many might call her addicted to cosmetic surgery, and the obvious financial implications would be hard to handle. Her current surgeon, Richard Ellenbogen commented on whether she had an addiction by saying, “Twila had a lot of surgery, yes. An addict? No. She was obsessed about getting it right” (Adato & Harrington). Many are willing to deal with the financial implications to achieve that “perfect look.”

Does the Bible give Christians any instruction on how they should spend their money? Again, the Philippians 2:3-4 could address this issue as well. Instead of spending money in self-centered ways, such as cosmetic surgery, it could be spent on improving the lives of others. In Luke 16:10-12, Jesus directly addresses financial stewardship:

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (NIV)

These verses show that money can be used for two vastly different purposes. It can be used to serve others or it can be used for self-indulgence. If a Christian uses wealth for his or her pure enjoyment, then he or she is being dishonest with or wasting God’s blessing of wealth. Ultimately, cosmetic surgery only benefits one person, and that is the patient. If a Christian uses wealth to benefit others, he or she will benefit by feeling good about serving others, and it will aid people in need. By being “other-centered” rather than self-centered, Christians can become the light that Christ talks about in the Sermon on the Mount. He proclaimed in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (NIV). If Christians want to be more like Christ and more “other-centered,” then they will find that cosmetic surgery is not the best route to choose.

It is a popular among Christian women to proudly proclaim themselves the “daughters of God,” made in His divine image. Why, then, has changing God-given features, what some would call imperfections, become such a priority in society today? Perhaps the influence of society’s narrow and sexualized definition of beauty is regarded more highly than God’s definition of beauty. Genesis 1:26 states, “God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature” (MSG). As Christians, it should be one of the most humbling realizations to discover that God would mold us in His image. Psalm 139:13 shows the love of God that went into forming each individual and what an amazing creation the human body is. It states:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. (MSG)

Is it wrong for Christians, being the creation of God, to question the Creator? When a Christian pursues cosmetic surgery to fix a minor imperfection, it is like telling God, “Well, You did not do it right the first time.” A Christian’s perspective of beauty should be different than society’s perspective of beauty. After all, Christians are called to go against the worldly grain. The human body should be something to marvel at for its complex workings, and that is indeed more beautiful than anything a cosmetic surgeon could create out of Botox or implants. A Christian who serves others rather than being self-centered is a beautiful sight to see. A popular song states, “We were meant to live for so much more, but we lost ourselves.” Christians have compromised their beliefs and God’s intentions for them when they begin to consider worldly expectations of beauty higher than God’s expectations beauty.

In the end, the Bible comments in Proverbs 31:30 saying, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (NIV).” Ultimately, physical beauty is fleeting because it ends at the grave. For Christians, a relationship with Christ is the only eternal surety. Cosmetic surgery, then, should not be an option for Christians who want to repair minor imperfections or rid themselves of wrinkles. It does not fit in with Biblical standards of living or beauty. A Christian should try to build up his or her relationship with Christ, which is eternal and freeing, rather than focusing on his or her outward appearance that is worldly and fleeting.

yac.