Understanding Eating Disorders | Page 27

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your body, focus on what you do like. Remember: what you see on television, the internet or in magazines is rarely ever reality. Don’t let other people define what is beautiful!

Strive to be healthy.

Rather than aiming for “skinny,” “muscular” or obsessing over a certain body type, develop a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Try meeting with a nutritionist to help you stay accountable with eating choices and exercise.

Unplug from media more often.

Teens and young adults, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who don’t. So, try unplugging from negative influences for a while to help change your perspective!

Check out this video by Dove: Evolution of a Model. You can see how much retouching it takes to make a model "beautiful."