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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Loving Our Bodies
by TAG and Ellen Friedrichs, 06.09.06
"Even though I have typical flaws like cellulite and stretch marks, I love my shape. It makes me feel sexy and attractive." |
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A lot of teens struggle with body image, feeling like they don't measure up to models, actors, or even their peers. When the TAG team sat down to talk about this issue, we found that while some of us were self-critical of various body parts, all of us could identify at least one thing about our bodies that we liked. (Faces, feet, legs, and butts were particularly popular!) Feeling encouraged by the discussion, we decided to find out what other teens liked best about their bodies. Here's what we heard:
"Sometimes people say I have nice curves, and it makes me feel good about my body."
— Rada, 17
"If I could change something, I wouldn't be so short, but I like my six-pack and wouldn't trade it to be tall."
— Yin, 17
"Even though I have typical flaws like cellulite and stretch marks, I love my shape. It makes me feel sexy and attractive."
— Janelle, 18
"I used to be really fat, so now I do weight training. The results make me like my body, especially my upper body, which is big."
— Jesse, 17
"I have good eyes and strong muscles, and I'm tall. "
— Cam, 16
"I think I am good looking and have nice features and am in good shape."
— Lyuba, 20
"I am into my abs and my hair."
— Paul, 17
"I think I am hot, and I get compliments on how I look."
— Anna, 17
"I like everything about my body except the fact that I don't have abs."
— Bob, 17
"There is nothing about my body I am critical of. I really like my boobs, my butt, my lips, and my thighs."
— Skye, 15
For teens who aren't feeling completely body confident, TAG offers these tips for learning to love your body:
- Admire the good things about yourself.
- Buy clothes that you like — not clothes that will hide your body.
- Rather than looking at other people's bodies to size up "the competition," give other people compliments if you like how they look. You'll probably get some complements back!
- Stop comparing yourself to models and actors — they don't reflect the reality of what most people look like.
- Focus on your best features rather than on parts you don't like.
Finally, having a healthy lifestyle is a key part of building body confidence. Eating well, exercising, and avoiding bad habits, like smoking and drinking, can make you look good and feel good.
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What would you like to hear TAG talk about? Send us a Talk Back comment with the subject line "TAG." |
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