Do you ever dislike your body shape or size?

Most of us have a part of our body that we’d change if we could – bigger boobs, longer legs, smaller bum, flatter stomach, better skin. Even many well proportioned and slim people can find a part of their body they’re not happy with.

Why? 

We are constantly bombarded with images of women (and men) with perfectly proportioned bodies, beautiful bone structure and flawless skin. The very word ‘model’ suggests this how humans should look, what we should ‘model’ ourselves on. However, less then 2% of the population actually look like this, and even most models don’t look as good in real life as magazines airbrush and they have professionally done hair and make-up.

Another thing to consider is many top models and movie stars are paid millions of dollars to look the way they do. So not only can they afford personal chefs, personal trainers, the best hair and make-up artists, but they have a huge incentive to keep themselves looking “perfect”. 

As for the rest of us, eating well, exercising regularly and basic grooming are also very important, but with many other life priorities including work (without the millions), kids, domestic chores, most of us simply don’t have the time or energy to put as much effort into appearance, and nor should it be necessary. 

So what can you do to start feeling better about you?

Stop (or limit) your exposure to fashion/celebrity magazines so you’re not constantly being exposed to unattainable body images. Think about what programs you watch on TV, are they full of beautiful people? Is this helping how you feel about yourself? And when you do see pictures of “beautiful” people or watch a movie with flawless actresses/actors, remind yourself they are the exception and not the norm.