All of us perceive how our bodies appear in different ways. Some people feel they are too fat, others lament being too thin. You may obsess about the size of your nose, while your best friend may wish her feet were smaller.

Our perception of how we look is known as body image. Some people are pleased with their body image. However, many more dislike one or more aspects of their physical appearance.

Such feelings are especially prevalent among women. One study by the University of Delaware found that high school girls tend to see themselves as 11 pounds overweight while high school boys perceive their current weight as being close to the ideal for their peer group.

Poor body image can lead to significant problems, including depression, eating disorders or other health issues. It doesn’t take much to alter our body image for the worse. For example, a study by the University of Missouri-Columbia found that women of all sizes felt more negative about their bodies after viewing the models in magazine ads.

Fortunately, there are ways to help boost your body image.

What You Can and Can’t Change

Improving your body image is as simple as changing your mind about how you look. As most of us realize, this is much easier said than done.

However, that doesn’t mean it is impossible to shift your feelings about your appearance. To start, it may help to realize that virtually everybody has hang-ups about some aspect of their bodies. Even the most successful and seemingly confident people privately fret about at least one of their physical attributes, including the women who model for magazine ads.