In a society obsessed with thinness and sexual appeal, it's no wonder that most people struggle with body-image dissatisfaction. These issues can range from a mild dislike of one's nose, ankles, waistline, etc. to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a psychological condition where a person's preoccupation with a physical flaw, whether real or imagined, interrupts normal life. No matter the severity of the body issues, everyone can benefit from increasing their self-acceptance.

But how can we learn to stop obsessing about our appearance? Therapists who treat patients with eating disorders recognize that body image is not simply about our physical bodies; there are a variety of factors that play into how we perceive our physical selves. Often our minds have a "funhouse" effect on the bathroom mirror, making our flaws disproportionately large and overwhelming. The key is to get back a realistic perspective.

Think about your favorite childhood memory. Were you worrying about how your body looked? Probably not. Children treat their bodies as what they really arethe most fantastic tools on the planet. Unfortunately, society tends to teach us that how our bodies look is more important than what our bodies can do. This is a fallacy, and one step towards self-acceptance is being aware of all the amazing things you can do with your body, even if some of your veins are varicose or your butt isn't made of steel. Our bodies deserve much more respect than we give them.

A few other tips for overcoming negative body image:
1. Use your body. Work in the garden, go for a walk, hold hands, smell candles, pet an animal, do anything to engage your senses and your physical abilities. Learn to appreciate the way your body lets you experience the physical world.
2. Realize that you don't love other people because they're beautiful. Yes, we enjoy looking at beautiful people, but do you love your mom (best friend/spouse/whoever) because they could grace the cover of Cosmopolitan/GQ? Hopefully you see something deeper, and can learn to love yourself in the same way.
2. Make a list of physical traits about yourself that you like. I have a friend who knows her boobs are fabulous, which she reminds herself about when jeans don't fit perfectly. Some days the only positive thing I can think about my body is that it's not sick and it's not dead, but this is better than nothing, right? It may be a clich phrase, but it feels good to accentuate the positive.
3. Figure out why you "feel" fat or ugly. Sometimes our bodies looks exactly the same as they did last week, but because of deeper issues we "feel" unattractive. Whenever I feel like my life is out of control, I start obsessing about my weight. It's not that I have suddenly gained fifteen poundsit's that the only thing I feel I can "control" is my weight. Pay attention to your emotions when you find yourself obsessing about your body image. There's usually something deeper going on.

Webster's dictionary defines "to accept" as "to agree to receive." Acceptance is an action, and thus body acceptance is a process that can be learned. By actively working to increase your acceptance of your body, you can not only feel better about yourself, but inspire others to do the same.

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