Yousee them everywhere - magazines featuring emaciated teen models withbrash, defiant looks that say ?We express ourselves,?;their arms and ankles glistening with fashion accessories. Thedefinition of ?cool chick? in another magazine is aglossy-lipped, half-woman, half-child peeking ambivalently behind aset of heavily mascara eyes.? I am confection,? she seemsto say, her body eloquently displaying a padded push up bra. Suchteen marketing tactics have succeeded in making their point. Girls,as young as ten, have made the word ?diet? part of theirvocabulary.

Bodyimage and weight control have occupied mainstream culture since thebeginning of the 20th Century when film and media images createdprototypes of ideal male and female bodies, men with swashbucklingmuscles and women with slender waists and boyish hips. The effect ofteen marketing and media images on our teenage population cannot beoverstated. It is not surprising then that teenagers of both gendershave distorted body images that often lead to Extreme bodymakeover.

Whatis even more disturbing is the number of cosmetic procedures thathave been performed on teens. According to a report published in awebsite, in 2003, more than 223,000 cosmetic procedures wereperformed on patients 18 years of age or younger and 39,000 of thosewere surgical procedures that were incidental in nature nose-shaping,breast lifts, breast augmentation, liposuction and tummy tuck.

One study of adolescent girls shows that 53% of American girls areunhappy with their bodies. This figure grows to 78% by the time thegirls reach seventeen'a situation which accounts for the 5-10million girls and women who are struggling with eating disorders.

What I'mtrying say is to evolve into the personality that you would admire.Become the person that you desire in this ExtremeMakeover. Acheerful and powerful personality stands out far above physicalappearance and clothing. Make sure you have addressed the importanceof personality in your extreme makeover.