Does My Bum Look Big In This?

With female celebrities now wearing a size 00 (size 2 AU), and fashion houses accommodating them, no wonder many Australian women are facing a body image crisis. *A national survey has found 90 per cent of women thought they were overweight, when in fact only 30 per cent were outside of the healthy weight range.

Are pretzel thin celebrities the reason Aussie women have a distorted body image? According to Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs it’s important for women to have a realistic view of their bodies, as well as an educated understanding of what is healthy. Follow Fernwood’s healthy living tips in 2007 and banish bad body image forever:

Reject the diet mentality: toss out those diet books that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily and permanently, and instead establish realistic habits you can incorporate into your life long-term.

Remember that fit and healthy people come in a variety of shapes and sizes – this is what makes us interesting and appealing to others!

Be physically active to improve your overall health and well-being rather than only to change your weight or shape. Make it fun - take the girls for a group body jam class.

Appreciate what your body does do for you - thank your legs for carrying you around the shops at sale time.

Keep a list of what’s so great about you (and don’t be shy). Highlight all your assets and talents that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like - you’ll be surprised how long the list is.

Look at yourself as a whole person. When you look in the mirror, choose not to focus on the parts you don’t like, instead look at the bigger picture.

Get yourself a fitness buddy and surround yourself with positive people. It’s easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you’re around others who are supportive.

Wear clothes that make you feel good about your body - work with your body, not against it! And don’t ever ask your boyfriend ‘does my bum look big in this?’, instead tell him, ‘how great does my bum look in this’ - he will relish the confidence!

Reward yourself for making any kind of positive changes; take a trip to the spa or buy that pair of shoes you promised yourself when you achieve your goals.

*Source: Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs conducted a national survey of more than 5,000 Australian women about their shape, weight and appearance with results analysed by Victoria University.