Bodies.  By Susie Orbach.

Orbach begins this book with the story of a man who wanted his two healthy legs amputated.  He squeezed them into a single support stocking and packed them in dry ice, damaging them so that surgeons would have to remove them.  His legs had caused him no pain; he just wanted them gone. They didn't fit with his concept of what his body should be, and he wanted to reflect his ideal. 

She argues that all of us, to some extent, partake of  this man's madness.  We sculpture our noses, we inflate our breasts, we have penis enlargement operations - at the very least we diet to lose weight or cram calories to bulk up.

The author, a therapist, believes that our concept of our own bodies has become "unstable" - that is, we are able to consider altering almost every part of ourselves.  With the ability to change comes social pressure to change.   And since we must spend money to create our perfected selves, market forces through advertising apply even more pressure to meet the social ideal. 

Our bodies have become a piece of work rather than a comfortable place to live.  Our home has become an object that causes us distress.

Recommended as a thought-provoking read.