like the best of whatever the world has to offer. However,
Americans appear to distinguish between whom they consider ideal and whom
they admire. According to a 2003 USA Today - CNN poll, the most admired
men were President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pope John Paul
II. And the most admired women were First Lady Laura Bush, Senator Hillary
Clinton, and talk show host/media mogul Oprah Winfrey (Bush Pp). It would
be a safe bet that if asked whom Americans considered the ideal person from
that list, Oprah Winfrey would top the list. Americans may admire certain
politicians and world leaders, but they do not necessarily consider them
ideal people living the ideal lifestyle. Who would want to live Colin
Powell's or Hillary Clinton's lifestyle' Oprah Winfrey, on the other hand,
measures up to the mark of idealism. She is practically a member of every
American household. She is wealthy, fashionable, powerful, and
interestingly, has become even more so since her weight loss. Thin counts,
whether personal self-image or media image. Obese people are not
considered ideal people, no matter their talent, intellect or contributions
to society. Obese people may be admired for their talents or
contributions, but they are not the image of ideal in the eyes of the
Having the ideal body counts so much to the American public that many
endanger their health attempting to obtain it. The last few decades has
seen a dramatic increase in eating disorders, gastric bypass surgery, and
cosmetic surgery. Many liken a "physical makeover to trading up for a new
car" (Miille Pp). According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,
more than 6.5 million people had a doctor alter their appearances in 2002
(Miille Pp). Out of that number, 1.6 million people "went under the
knife," while the other 4.9 million received non-surgical cosmetic
procedures such as "lasers, chemical solut...