People who accept the way they look and feel good about their bodies most of the time have a positive body image. People with a positive body image also understand that how they look does not determine their self-worth.
Their appearance may not match their family’s ideals or the ideals in the media. They have learned to be proud of the way they look.
Having a positive body image is about how you feel about the way you look.
Secrets of a positive body image
- you do not have to be thin or tall or have any other specific physical traits to have a positive body image
- it does not matter what you look like from the outside
- it means that you see yourself as you really are
- many people with a positive body image know that certain parts of their body may not be the same as someone else’s, but they accept, appreciate, and even love the differences
Source: Body Image @ plannedparenthood.org
Video
Further help
- 0808 802 1234 (Brook – Free & confidential information for under 25s)
Read more
- Positive Body Image @ Queen Victoria Women’s Centre
Excerpt: Positive body image is about feeling at home in our bodies, being confident and happy with whom we are, and resisting pressure to realise unrealistic and unattainable ‘beauty ideals’. Negative body image is when we feel uncomfortable about ourselves and have distorted perceptions of our bodies.
- Ten Steps To Positive Body Image @ BodySense
Excerpt: One list cannot automatically tell you how to turn negative body thoughts into positive body image, but it can help you think about new ways of looking more healthfully and happily at yourself and your body. The more you do that, the more likely you are to feel good about who you are and the body you naturally have.
image: Love Your Body by Andrea Parrish - Geyer under Creative Commons license