You don't like your nose? There's a surgery for that.
You don't like your bust size? You can get another surgery to fix that.
Even if you don't like the picture you take on your smartphone, there's a filter you can use to enhance your image.
Not to mention the endless focus on popular celebrities who seem flawless on every magazine cover. It can make any confident woman want to hide mirrors or find something "wrong" with her body.
In fact, in a recent Today/AOL "Ideal to Real" body image survey found 60 percent of women and 78 percent of teenage girls have something negative to say about their appearance. These women and teenage girls also spend at least an hour a day looking in the mirror, fixing their hair and putting on makeup.
What are a few tips for changing a negative body image?
- Acknowledge and STOP the fat talk: This could be a negative domino effect. If you're in the dressing room with your friend and you say, "I'm so fat, look at my thighs!" your friend might feel obligated to say something negative about herself. This can create a negative behavior and focus on your body. What you can do is acknowledge the "fat talk" and ask yourself why you're talking this way? Does it make you feel better?
- Identify parts of your body that you love: Even though you might feel a certain way about your nose, thighs, or hips, identify what you LOVE about yourself. (I have a pretty smile)
- Shift Your Focus: Instead of bashing your thighs, ask yourself "what does my butt allow me to do?" (walk, dance, move, drive, stay active, etc.)
- Make a friend of an enemy and you’ll have a friend for life: Be kind to yourself and recognize that you can put your energy to better use by trusting yourself to build your self esteem instead of tearing it down.
Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Susan Kleinman, discusses what body image is, why it directly affects women's self-esteem and confidence, and tips to help change negative body image.
Susan Kleinman, a board certified dance/movement therapist, National Certified Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, is Creative Arts Therapies Supervisor and Dance/Movement Therapist for The Renfrew Center.