Not the same at all.
Braces are there to fix issues that can be fatal at times. To reveal hidden caries, be able to smile and bite.
Being a few centimeters under average isn't a disability, you're a healthy individual with unhealthy thoughts.
You were normal and decided to break your bones because a few people made you feel bad.
((Unless you have severe dwarfism)
It's hypocritical for me to say this, but I don't believe LL people are the most mentally sane.
You didn’t follow the logic in the second part of my post which was connected to the first part …
That braces are occasionally used for medical reasons is irrelevant. One could apply the same logic for LL and say LL is used for potentially fatal misalignments in the bones, and used to correct discrepancies etc.
However, we are discussing cosmetic changes to the body, and a large amount of braces are used purely to improve the aesthetics of the patients smile (i.e. cosmetic reasons).
So I repeat. In the case where braces are used purely for an aesthetic purpose: Would you use the same logic? That you are mentally ill for doing so and changing your smile as having a crooked smile isn’t a disability but simply a bit below average in terms of “teeth alignment”? That you are altering your mouth and teeth
because a few people made you feel bad?
Obviously the answer is no, there is nothing wrong with fixing the aesthetic of your smile with braces.
Thus we have established the logical argument that altering your body for cosmetic reasons is immoral or wrong in of itself, as of that the original poster was asking, is false.
However, what remains is obviously the thing that separates LL from braces which is the
risk and the
cost of the surgery.
So one needs to argue and quantify the risk and the cost if one wants to weigh whether LL is
sane or
insane.
And here come the various LL methods (internal/external), lengthening amounts (5 cm femur / 12 cm femur), different doctors etc.
Now obviously if you were to do 12 cm femur lengthening with an external method in Turkey I think most people would agree this would be
insane due to the risk involved.
However, if one did 5 cm femur, using a modern internal weight bearing device, using a top doctor I think most people would agree this would be
sane.
In conclusion it’s not about changing your appearance itself. If there was a button you could click that made you taller with 0 cost and 0 risk would you really dwell on the same thoughts? No, it is the risk and the cost that are the source of these thoughts around LL being immoral etc. so it is only by quantifying these that we can have a serious discussion about whether something is sane or insane regarding LL.