More and more women today are saying "supersize me," but it's not in reference to junk food.
When I think of cosmetic surgery, I immediately think of Los Angeles, "Barbie girls" and "Nip Tuck."
All of the images I associate with plastic surgery, I link back to the U.S.; a nation many refer to as one of frivolous spending and excess.
So, I was surprised to hear that in some South American countries, like Venezuela and Colombia, getting a breast augmentation has become so mainstream that it's almost a rite of passage for young girls.
A Venezuelan friend of mine, Victoria Carillo, told me that it was rare to find a woman in Venezuela that didn't get her boobs done.
As an example of the emphasis placed on personal appearance, she referred to the quinceanera, a coming-of-age celebration for fifteen-year-old girls that is commemorated in many Latin American cultures.
"Now parents ask if the girls want a party, a trip or a boob job for their birthday," Carillo said.
She also told me about a popular Colombian television show called which translates to English as "Without Breasts, There Is No Paradise."
So, I did a little research on the issue and found that it's currently such a hot topic that Hugo Chavez took a break from discussing oil and causing a ruckus to comment on the rampant boob fad.
According to articles in the "New York Times" and on the "Ten Percent" web site, Chavez pleaded with Venezuelan parents via his weekly TV show, asking them not to indulge their children and play into "westernized," namely American, notions of beauty.
In the "New York Times article" entitled "Who is the Vainest of Them All? Venezuela," Rhoter made the point that 80 percent of the nation's population lives below the poverty line, yet the poor are as interested in plastic surgery procedures as the rich.
Surgeries are available at a fraction of the cost in comparison to U.S. prices, primarily because they're much more popular.
In addition to lower procedure prices, it's also much easier to partake of the Botox banquet in Latin America.
You can book an all-inclusive travel package to your clinic of choice.
Your lovely stay includes airfare, hotel and a minor operation that will leave you looking and feeling your best.
While I do think many Americans spend frivolously, I don't think the majority of women see plastic surgery as a necessary step toward personal happiness or professional success.
But, I did hold the notion that the mainstream acceptance of plastic surgery procedures was at its highest in the U.S.
Little did I know that it is much more socially acceptable in Latin America.
Going under the knife is downplayed by American media, which definitely influences public ideas of beauty.
Cultures certainly vary in their definitions of beauty, but when does image come at too high a price?
