How do you feel about your body?
If I were to ask you, what words would you choose to describe your body?

I would like to think that most of you would say that their bodies are amazing. Yet the reality is that most people, would assume that I am talking about their physical appearance and as a result would say that they are not happy with how their bodies look. Yes I have written about this before and yes I will continue to do so, because how we view ourselves, affects how and if we accept ourselves for who we really are.

For so long now, we have been bombarded with images of the perfect 'body', so many have become obsessed with trying to achieve that 'body'. Your happiness must come from the inside not the outside, but so much money is pumped into the idea that you will be happy if you look a certain way. How many hours, days, weeks have men and women lost in their lives obsessing over their appearance.

Image Source:http://kimberyoga.blogspot.com.es/2011/09/feed-your-body-love-your-body.html

Imagine if all that attention went in to improving their lifestyle or opening up their hearts more to those around them. What sort of a world would we live in then.

On top of all of this is the huge rise in the cases of body dimorphic disorder, the most worrying is that it starts at an early age, mostly between the age of 11 and 15 for both boys and girls. We have an obligation to ourselves and the youth of today to do something about this.

Image Source:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X13000795

Their have been attempts by some to help destroy this obsession by trying to employ real size models for fashion shoots only to be told by designers that they would not supply any clothes. This really pisses me off, but it's really not surprising because why would some rich egotistical designer give a damn about how everyone feels about themselves. Yet they are the ones dictating what is publicly seen as beautiful and attractive.

Why have these people got all the power over body image.

But back to the point, what can we do about it, well for one don't listen to them, I doubt any one on here can afford their clothes anyhow so not buying what they sell does not really apply to us. But how we talk about our bodies publicly is something we can get involved in, when was the last time you praised your body, actually came out and said I'm really happy that my legs carried me all the way from town and back. How often have you praised your arms, or the amazing ability of your brain when it comes to problem solving.

Image Source:http://www.thinknice.com/amazing-human-body-facts/amazing-human-body-facts-human-bone-stronger-than-concrete/

How about starting conversations about how awesome our bodies are from the inside out, actually start to get some facts out there, like the fact that your nose can remember 50,000 different scents, how freakin awesome is that? or A human skeleton renews itself completely every 10 years? or Nerve impulses can travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. I was very very impressed learning this, come on who wouldn't be, so lets talk about it. Lets take the focus away from our appearance. For some more awesome facts check out these sites, there are plenty more out there.

https://www.factretriever.com/body-facts
http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=14536

Lets promote eating healthy foods more, make it enjoyable, talk openly about how our bodies need to be nourished both physically and mentally, lets start open heart conversations with the children in our lives, whether they are ours or our friends. We need to talk about our bodies, about the fact that what is being promoted by the media is not real and not healthy. Lets start listening to our bodies and give them what they need, really treat your body as your friend. Seems simple enough ah?

Lets really make a conscious effort to praise our bodies. This one is so important, your children need to hear you praise yourself. Do this at least once a day. Our bodies are our vessels, be grateful, but also know that we are so much more. We have so many layers to us, lets embrace them all.

I have just recently heard about a documentary called Embrace

To get the word out there, Taryn Brumfitt, Founder of the Body Image Movement is filming Embrace the documentary. Embrace uncovers why poor body image has become a global epidemic and what women everywhere can do to have a brighter future.
A funny, touching, at times gut wrenching but above all, life changing documentary, the heart of Embrace is Taryn’s story. How she went from a body hater to a body lover. From being devastated by her perceived ugliness to proudly posing nude for the whole world to see.

https://bodyimagemovement.com/embrace-the-documentary/
I haven't seen it yet but it is on my list to do so. Here is a clip of the trailer. Let me know if you have seen it.

I would love to hear more ideas about how to promote positive body image, so please share any ideas you have with me. This is one thing I will continue to talk about.

Image Source for 1st Image:https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/302656037446227555/?lp=true

Big Big Thank You To @byn for designing my logo.