Body image is a concept referring a person's perception of his/her physical self. Women, unfortunately, are more prone to having a negative body image. This means that they don't have a favorable opinion of what they see in the mirror. Women focus on their flaws, their 'flab' and a million other minutae. They are often far too harsh on themselves. Having a negative body image leads to mental issues including depression and psycho-physical disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.

When you are unhappy in your own skin, it affects how you live your life. Women need to develop healthy attitudes about their own physical selves. It's crucial to their happiness and wellness. It's also important for mother's to have a healthy body image of themselves. Studies have shown that moms with low self-esteem and/or body image pass along the negativity to their children.

Sure, it's true that there is a pressue in society to look a certain way. Open a magazine or watch a TV show and you'll see that the standard is naturally thinner than most regular people are. Compound that with peer and family pressures and you have a prescription for disaster. The easiest way to combat poor body image and poor self-esteem because the two do go hand-in-hand is with a variety of good self-care habits.

These include:

The better you take care of yourself, the better you'll feel even when you peer into the "dreaded looking glass."