Today's ultra-thin body ideal, created and encouraged by the media and fashion industry, can cause even the healthiest girls to dislike their bodies. In a special article on the WebMD website, freelance health writer Heather Hatfield interviewed several body image experts who offered practical tips for feeling good about your body.

"...the problem with the cultural norm in America is that human beings aren't meant to be one size or one shape. 'The research on body diversity is conclusive: Even if we all ate the same optimal, wholesome diet and exercised to the same high degree of physical fitness, we would still be very diverse in our shapes,' says [Kathy] Kater [a psychotherapist in St. Paul, Minn.]..."

The panel of experts suggested that people who struggle with their body image need to find a peer group that's encouraging. If you hang out with people who continually complain about their (or worse yet, your) body, find some people with healthier mindsets. Source: WebMD

Labels: body_image, influences, positive_messages