A Korean television show that gives participants free plastic surgery is being criticized for going too far. According to the Korea Times, the show, called "Let Me In," chooses patients out of a pool of thousands of applicants who feel self-conscious about certain body parts or have health issues and offers them plastic surgery at no cost. A panel of doctors votes to decide which people should receive the surgeries.

However, in addition to the feature they originally wanted to change, individuals on the show often end up undergoing several other plastic surgery procedures as well. One particular patient drew a lot of criticism from viewers. The woman suffered low self-esteem after discovering her husband had cheated on her because of her breast size. She was chosen to receive breast augmentation surgery but underwent other facial surgical procedures as well.

One viewer said to the Korea Times, "Her breasts became abundant and her face also changed through a complete make-over. Then what? Will her mental distress disappear? Will her husband now be faithful to her?"

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) stresses the importance of evaluating a patient for their mental health as much as their physical ability to handle surgery. Patients are required to have full medical histories and multiple consultations before choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon that they are comfortable with before undergoing cosmetic surgery.

ASAPS recognizes the challenge television producers face as they try to balance all of the factors that go into creating "entertainment." When it comes to important health issues presented on television, entertainment and public education ideally should go hand-in-hand. And when it comes to plastic surgery on "reality" TV programs, what you see may not be all there is to the story.