The American culture is already very superficial and is all about the way you look. There are even face creams that are supposed to make your skin lighter in color, because supposedly, according to the media, dark skin is unattractive, however, this is a whole other topic for another time. Bridalplasty also sends the message about how who you are as an original is not good enough for your wedding. As a bride-to-be, I also want to look my best for my big day and we all have our flaws, but you know what, my fiancé loves me for me. We are getting married because we accept and love each other for who we are and Bridalplasty takes this sacred aspect away from the idea of sacred matrimony.

From an article from ABC News: “Under the American Society of Plastic Surgeons code of ethics, we’re technically prohibited from giving procedures away as a prize for a contest. It totally undermines the doctor-patient relationship,” says Dr. Gayle Gordillo, associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University. “The ethical and social implications of this [show] are frightening.” I also agree that this show has way too many negative social, medical, and ethical implications.

All I am trying to say is that if people want to have plastic surgery, it should be their own personal choice and not promoted on national television. A show like Bridalplasty will make women and young girls think that they have to be super duper perfect and meet the model standards to get married, which is totally wrong and immoral. True beauty really does come from within and the whole concept of getting married is that your partner should find you to be beautiful just the way you are.

Also from ABC’s article, Dr. Michael McGuire, president-elect of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons’ code of ethics, says that, “the show is embarrassing to the field and the society frowns upon taking a “well-recognized specialty down into this level of entertainment,” he says that without an actual violation of the code, there is “nothing we can do about it.” The surgeon on the show has already screened and evaluated each of the girls and has approved them for all their surgeries and that is how Bridalplasty found their loophole.

There must be something that we can all do to keep Bridalplasty off the air. For now, all I can think of is to not watch it and therefore, giving it lower ratings. It should be as simple as that. If nobody watches the show, then it simply won’t have enough resources to continue. We should not allow the entertainment industry to sabotage women any further than what has already been done. Reality shows are one thing, but messing with other people’s bodies and health on national tv is a whole other thing that is just down right immoral. Let’s send the right message to women everywhere and not promote Bridalplasty.

Take care,

Varsha

There are many integrative health centers of wellness centers out there, but how many of them are truly “holistic?” Holistic is not just alternative medicine or natural healing; holistic health is all forms of medicine, eastern and western, and includes healing of the mind, body, and spirit, and not just one of them. Only working with the body is not holistic, just like only working with the spiritual Being is also not considered to be holistic. Holistic really does mean whole and not only one part or another.

When you walk into an “integrative medical center,” it is important to recognize what they actually do. There are some integrative centers that treat only according to western medicine and might incorporate a little bit of Ayurveda for example. Also, let me ask you this. What really is a “wellness” center? Again, a wellness center has a huge variety of services from meditations, to spa treatments, to classes, massages, yoga, and the list continues.

Holistic Health is often misunderstood to be only complementary and alternative forms of medicine. But really, it Holistic Health encompasses all healing modalities, whether its an eastern of western approach. True holistic healthcare means that the health of the mind, body, and spirit are taken into account. Holistic health treats not just the individual’s disease, but all the person, the state of mind, the spirit, and also takes into account the environment of the individual as well. That is where the future of health care is headed towards. It is heading towards holistic healthcare and not just one form of medicine over another. An ideal health care system will include all forms of healing and one form will not be falsely stated as being better than another form of medicine. As all forms of medicine has its own benefits and works in its own way. The integration of medicine into one holistic healthcare model is what is needed and that is where we are headed.

Health and happiness,

Varsha