Relax, your child looks just fine

Is it just a local thing, or are children nationwide be coming obsessed with their appearance? Nobody, of course, would argue with sending your kid to an orthodontist if his or her teeth are crooked. Bad teeth can affect speech, chewing and oral hygiene. If a child starts putting his hand in front of his mouth when he smiles, his teeth have become a psychological problem.

A good dermatologist is also needed if a teenager has acne so bad that the over-the-counter medications are no longer effective.

But when 9-year-old girls are bringing cans of Slim Fast to school for lunch, or when 9-year-old boys are worried about their "abs," it's getting out of hand.

We've even heard that some high school girls are getting breast enhancements.

If so, that's ridiculous.

Nobody under 18 should be getting plastic surgery unless it's a necessity.

It's different when a defect causes mental anguish. A scar or birthmark should be treated if it's causing psychological problems such as an inferiority complex.

But we are who we are.

We can't change the color of our skin. Until we're 18, we shouldn't be allowed to consider any elective procedure involving plastic surgery.

It's okay to use makeup.

It's fine to use mouthwash, breath fresheners, deodorant, perfume and cologne.

Hair dyes and contact lenses are okay, too.

But when pre-adolescents are eating diet foods and when 10th-graders are getting breast augmentations, it's gone completely overboard.

Teens and pre-teens aren't supposed to look like movie stars, despite what the commercials tell us.