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About body image

• When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?
• Learning to love what you see in the mirror
• More information on about body image

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?

Is your body image positive or negative? If your answer is negative, you are not alone. Many women in the United States feel pressured to measure up to a certain social and cultural ideal of beauty, which can lead to poor body image. Women are constantly bombarded with "Barbie Doll-like" images. By presenting an ideal that is so difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. It's no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. The message we're hearing is either "all women need to lose weight" or that the natural aging process is a "disastrous" fate.

Other pressures can come from the people in our lives.

• Family and friends can influence your body image with positive and negative comments.
• A doctor's health advice can be misinterpreted and affect how a woman sees herself and feels about her body.

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Learning to love what you see in the mirror

We all want to look our best, but a healthy body is not always linked to appearance. In fact, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Changing your body image means changing the way you think about your body. At the same time, healthy lifestyle choices are also key to improving body image.

• Healthy eating can promote healthy skin and hair, along with strong bones.
• Regular exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem, self-image, and energy levels.
• Plenty of rest is key to stress management.

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More information on about body image

Explore other publications and websites

• Body Image (Copyright © Planned Parenthood) — This Web page explains what shapes someone's body image and how it affects overall health. It also has information on how to develop a positive body image.
  http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/body-image-23374.htm
• Fostering a Positive Self-Image (Copyright © Cleveland Clinic) — This publication describes body image and self-image, and gives tips for improving both.
  http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/mental_health/hic_fostering_a_positive_self-image.aspx
• The Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders (Copyright © National Eating Disorders Association) — This online publication provides some basic facts about the influence of the media on body image.
  http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/MediaBI.pdf
• Twenty Ways to Love Your Body! (Copyright © National Eating Disorders Association) — This fact sheet lists 20 things that can help you learn how to respect and love your body.
  http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/20WaysTo.pdf

Connect with other organizations

• Confidence Coalition
  http://www.confidencecoalition.org/
• Mind on the Media
  http://www.motm.org/
• National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
  http://naafa.org/
• National Eating Disorders Association
  http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  http://www.samhsa.gov/
• Weight-Control Information Network
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm

Content last updated September 22, 2009.

Resources last updated September 22, 2009.

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