we are all products of our environment (and the society we live in), and we all contribute to the reproduction of society in some way. You can't really separate the individual from society or vice verse. One does not exist without the other. Can we blame society? In some ways, yes. He received the ever present message that a person's appearance is the most important characteristic they posses. Is it any surprise that people go to extremes to achieve what they see as a perfect aesthetic?