What Can You Do to Prevent a Negative Body Image?

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Doing some form of regular physical activity is important for your health, can help you feel good about yourself, and can improve your mood. Don't let exercise become an obsession, though; do it in moderation.

Have a good attitude

Instead of having negative thoughts, say or at least think some­thing positive about your body each day. For example, you may say that you are grateful that you have a strong and healthy body, or you may be proud that you can be different instead of fitting a mold.

Don't worry so much about what other people think!

You can't control what they think, and you can't know for sure what they are thinking. On the other hand, you can control what you think and what you do. Think positive thoughts and you will be hap­pier. By not worrying about what others think of you and the way you look or what you wear, you will be free to concentrate on more important things. Remember that you can never please everybody. The "friend" who said "I didn't recognize you" has a bigger problem than the person she was (thoughtlessly) criticizing.

Do something good for yourself each day

For example, get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, instead of engaging in dangerous behaviors such as very restric­tive dieting.

View the media critically

When you watch a movie or television, watch with a critical eye. Ask yourself if the writer or director is trying to "sell" you an idea. Understand that lots of money is put into commercials and ads to sell you on certain ideas or products. Keep away from magazines that promote unhealthy dieting, rapid weight loss, and feature unrealis­tic images of very thin models.

Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings

Consider writing down positive thoughts in a journal. Make a note of your accomplishments and the qualities you admire in your­self. This will not make you vain!

Get support

Get support from family and friends, and surround yourself with people you trust and who make you feel good. One of the girls I spoke to said that the way she felt about herself and her body depended upon whom she was with. When she spent time with the girls who berated themselves and were always dieting and fussing about their appearance, she felt negatively about her body, but when she spent time with her good friends, who were more interested in who she was inside, she felt happy about her body and herself.

Don't tolerate teasing or stereotyping on the basis of size and weight

It's demeaning and harmful to your own self-respect as well as to others.

Be thankful for what you have

Eighteen-year-old Jennifer told me the following story: "Although I didn't complain often, I went through life not really enjoying anything very much. I socialized, but didn't ever feel really comfortable around lots of people. Although I was healthy and not overweight, I was always self-conscious about my body. I thought that my thighs were too big, and that if I were thinner everything would be so much better. So that's how I drifted along, doing what I needed to do, but not putting my heart into anything —and definitely not having fun. Two months ago I had such a scare. My doctor found something wrong on my blood test, and we were afraid that it might be a sign of a serious illness. Further tests had to be done. I had to wait for a whole week until all the test results came back. During that week I was so afraid. I realized how lucky I had been to be healthy up to this point, and to be able to have experienced so many won­derful things. I felt sorry for myself for having to deal with this. I realized that, depending upon those results, everything might change. I started noticing everything around me — the beauty of nature, the ocean, the trees. I wanted to spend more time with the people I loved. How could I ever have worried about whether my thighs were too big? It seemed so trivial now. A week later I was told the good news that I would be okay. I know that experience changed my life. For me it's now about being healthy and strong, not about whether I fit into size four jeans."

The question is sometimes raised about whether girls dress a certain way or feel pressured to look a certain way to impress boys or other girls. Mimi Nichter, an anthropologist who has studied the culture of teenage girls, interviewed them in regard to this subject. They indicated that there was a lot of pressure on girls to look good and to follow certain rules for appropriate dress. Some were afraid that if they didn't follow the "rules" guys would tease them, and some were concerned about being socially rejected by other girls. Think about this for a moment. Do you feel pressured by anyone to look or dress a certain way? Hopefully you will do what feels right and comfortable to you.