Hi there and thanks for writing in.

I agree with what you say. Many young people are so obsessed with their body image because society (eg. TV, magazines, fashion industry) have given us messages that people must look like this and that. Celebrities who are obsessed with their bodies can set an unhealthy example to others which can lead other people to begin to question how they look. We need to be savvy to this and know that the media often computer-enhances bodies—with one click a mole or pimple can be removed from a picture.

Often there are pictures of celebrities who are caught without make up and so on and they look nothing like what they do when we see them in a magazine. It has also become normal for women to say "I'm fat/skinny/have big hips/have big hands" and so on. Young girls see adult women saying this on TV and out in the community; these comments are not useful.

It comes down to teenagers being educated about the myths of body image and accepting the body they are in. Adolescence is a time of big changes within a body so there is lots of growing, and body shapes don't settle down for a few years.

I like your attitude of saying that you are the only one with your body and you should be happy that you have it and that no one else has yours. I wonder if you could talk with your health teacher about doing a project on body image; you may be able to get the message out to other young people.

Take care.