1. Freedom… …from Negative Self-Images

2. Did you know…. The average American woman is 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5'11" tall and weighs 117 pounds. 45% of women are on a diet on any given day. 80% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance. 91% of women surveyed on a college campus have dieted. 35% of "normal dieters" progress to pathological dieting and/or eating disorders. 60% of American women are actually a size 12 or larger. Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14. If Barbie were a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. Source: http://www.proudtobeme.org/bodyimage/facts.html

3. Have you ever thought about girls and boys having a self-image problem… 42% of elementary school students between the 1st and 3rd grades want to be thinner. 80% of children who are ten years old are afraid of being fat. 51% of 9 and 10 year old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet. Girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer or losing parents. Source: http://www.proudtobeme.org/bodyimage/facts.html

4. Have you thought about… 25% of men are on a diet on any given day By the time they reach their mid-teens, males will account for 10% of all eating disorder cases. 42% of men with bulimia are homosexual or bisexual Each day Americans spend an average of 109 million dollars on dieting products. Source: http://www.anorexiabulimia.net/scary_statistics.htm One body-image study found that 45 percent of men were dissatisfied with their physiques; women were only slightly less satisfied at 55 percent. Source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mbi1.html

5. Men are facing increased pressure to meet the standard of the muscular defined body that is promoted in film and TV as well as by the fitness industry Source: http://www.shs.uwo.ca/publications/mindbody/mensbody.htm Today the goal to be thin is displayed in media images on television, magazines, and billboards. More ads in women’s magazines than in men’s magazines deal with diet and other figure enhancing products. These advertisements show the ideal female body, and many females then compare their own body type with this ideal and may use dieting as a means to measure up. Source: Bridgette Sloan, Extension Associate, Consumer and Textile Sciences http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5238.html

6. It's useful to have an internal guide - a feeling - that lets you know what's happening in the world around you, and gives you some motivation to do something about it. Apparently, that's exactly what self- esteem is. The feeling of low self-esteem is apparently nothing more than an indication you aren't getting enough positive feedback from other people. You may not be getting rejected or criticized, but to really feel good about ourselves, we need something more than that. We need acknowledgment, compliments, appreciation. Source: http://www.thisisawar.com/HealthLoveSelf.htm About 8,000,000 people in the United States currently have an eating disorder. Source: http://www.anorexiabulimia.net/scary_statistics.htm Over one person's lifetime, at least 50,000 individuals will die as a direct result of their eating disorder. Source: http://womensissues.about.com/library/blbodyimagestats.htm

7. Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet-related products each year. Source: http://www.proudtobeme.org/bodyimage/facts.html When people do well, they tend to feel better about themselves:  When you want to build your own self-esteem, it appears your best bet is to change your behavior  Do your tasks well and treat people well and you'll feel good about yourself  Don't worry so much about how you think about yourself;  Change what you do to make yourself more appreciated by the people around you  Increase your value to other people and to the company you work for  Watch the reactions of other people  Pay attention to the reality outside your skin  Do more of what works  Do less of what doesn't get the response you want Source: http://www.thisisawar.com/HealthLoveSelf.htm

8. To improve the self-esteem of others: Give unexaggerated feedback and help them gain ability. To improve your own self-esteem: Change what you do to make yourself more appreciated by the people around you. Source: http://www.thisisawar.com/HealthLoveSelf.htm “The first thing you can do is to remember that the main objective of the fashion, cosmetic, diet, fitness and plastic surgery industries is to make money, not to make you the best person you can possibly be. The ultra thin ideal is working for them. But is it working for you? If every season your parent or partner told you to change who you are or how you dress wouldn't you question their motives?” Source: http://www.proudtobeme.org/bodyimage/ideal.html

9. Body Image - Feel Good About Your Body Now! The following are some helpful tips to help you feel good about your own body. Stop talking about your weight. Question the motives of the fashion and diet industry. Stop weighing yourself. Concentrate on things you do well. Get physical for fun. Value your dollars. Voice your opinion. Be a role model. Break the barriers. Source: http://www.thisisawar.com/HealthLoveSelf.htm

10. “ About one-third of all Americans are truly dissatisfied with their appearance, women more than men. Women most commonly complain about their thighs, abdomen, breasts and buttocks. Men are dissatisfied with their abdomen, upper body and balding pate. Sometimes the problem is imaginary; sometimes it is real and ranges from a mild complaint about the “spare tire” that hangs over your belt to a major preoccupation with “jelly belly” that results in relentless dieting and exercise bordering on punishment.” Source: http://www.theeagle.com/food/nutrition/040203nutrition.php “you need to takes steps to be at peace with your body, redefine your goals, and to like yourself” Source: http://www.theeagle.com/food/nutrition/040203nutrition.php Approximately 7 million girls and women struggle with eating disorders Approximately 1 million boys and men struggle with eating disorders Source: http://womensissues.about.com/library/blbodyimagestats.htm

11. how to love yourself 1. STOP ALL CRITICISMS Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positives. 2. DON'T SCARE YOURSELF Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure and immediately switch your scary thoughts to a pleasure thought. 3. BE GENTLE AND KIND AND PATIENT Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. 4. BE KIND TO YOUR MIND Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts. 5. PRAISE YOURSELF Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. 6. SUPPORT YOURSELF Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it. 7. BE LOVING TO YOUR NEGATIVES Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new positive ways to fulfill those needs. 8. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY Learn about nutrition. Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in. 9. MIRROR WORK Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day say: "I love you - I really love you!" 10. DO IT NOW Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now - do the best you can. Source: http://www.thisisawar.com/HealthLoveSelf.htm