Guest Author - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

My hubby and I just returned from visiting family in Jerusalem – a trip that provoked a surprise and a question regarding women and body image. While we were there, one of my sisters spent a day in the hospital with her friend (“Miriam”). Miriam is married to a wealthy young man – he earned all his money and success on his own in a short time. Both in their early twenties, they have a one year old daughter and their own home.

Miriam’s dream has always been to have a breast enlargement; her husband thinks her breasts are beautiful exactly the way they are. She went ahead with the surgery, which she’s wanted for years, even though her husband repeatedly asked her to reconsider. Nothing he said – his reassurances, love, or positive regard – made her change her mind. He didn’t want her breasts changed in any way, but for her this goal surpassed his love or their relationship.

While I know North America hadn’t cornered the market on body image perceptions and plastic surgery options, I was surprised by Miriam’s decision because I thought that living in certain locations, especially a country as volatile as Israel, would raise more global and “serious” concerns than breast size. Especially in Jerusalem, which is a holy city with strong traditional and conservative roots. Tel Aviv, on the other hand, is only 45 minutes from Jerusalem but a different world in terms of fashion, style, and current trends. Push up bras and form-fitting clothes are the norm in Tel Aviv, and less common in Jerusalem.

I was also surprised that Miriam was determined to have plastic surgery regardless of her husband’s opinion. This has nothing to do with their geographical location, but rather how pervasive and strong our own opinions of our bodies are, regardless of what our loved ones think. I wonder if it works the opposite way? For instance, if I like my eyes but people repeatedly tell me how small and shifty they are, will I grow to dislike them? I suspect so. Then why, when people tell us we’re beautiful just the way we are, don’t we believe them?

On this trip, we traveled to Turkey after Israel and found that some cities, like Istanbul and Goreme, are significantly more traditional and conservative than others, like Antalya. This seems common all over the world: in Canada, Vancouver is more liberal and fashion-conscious than, say Winnipeg. In the U.S., New York City is more trendy than conservative Lubbock.

So, to what extent is your body image affected by your geographical location? It would seem that girls raised in more conservative places like Jerusalem, Istanbul, Winnipeg or Lubbock would be less affected by body image or fashion trends. And yet, Miriam in Jerusalem and millions of other woman in other seemingly less trendy or liberal cities do succumb to society’s pressures, think their breasts are too small, or their hips too large, and opt for plastic surgery.

Before this trip, I thought women wanted to change their bodies because of societal pressure. Now, I wonder if internal pressures are stronger than external opinions. Miriam’s breast enhancement and geographical location may indicate that a woman’s self-perception may overrule both the opinions of loved ones and the influences of society.