Do you have good body image?

I don't.

At the moment I am trying to come to terms with what this means. It is about time I did. I drive myself and those closest to me crazy about it. I never seem happy with my body. If I think one part is okay, I simply move onto the next part that I think I need to berate myself over.

Talking to my Hubby, he commented that he has never known me to have a good body image and it has just gotten worse over the years.

I certainly do feel worse now about my body than I ever have before. Whether it is because I am getting older or the fact my body has had two kids, I am not entirely sure.

According to dosomething.org, approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Only five percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed in the media.

What drastic percentages - 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies. When did this happen?

Has there ever been a time in history when women were happy with their bodies? A time before mass media started shoving skinny long limbed flawless girls in our faces.

Years ago, Hubby bought me a book, The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf. The tag line reads "How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women". This was obviously his subtle way of telling me that I had some issues with my body image. Perhaps it would have been better if he actually hit me over the head with the book!

In this book, Wolf talks about the fact women have more power and professional success now than ever before, however she is troubled by what she calls the Beauty Myth, an obsession with physical perfection that traps modern women in an endless spiral of self-hatred as she tries to fulfil society's impossible definition of flawless beauty.

Self-hatred is such a strong sentiment, but sadly I would believe it.

Image credit

The above photo comes from Glamour magazine and their Body Image Revolution series.

I look at these women and think they are beautiful. Why can't I look at myself the same way? Why are women their own harshest critic? Why do I weigh myself every day and examine my face in the mirror?

This needs to stop. I want to love my body. I want my girlfriends and our daughters to love their bodies. I also want the men in my life to love their bodies too.

Do you love your body? What is your best feature?

Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT