Getting Over the Norm continued...

"Everyone has a natural body weight," says Ruth Kava, PhD, RD, director of nutrition at the American Council on Science and Health in New York. "If you have to starve yourself to get where you think you should be, you may be doing damage because you may not be getting appropriate nutrition."

That doesn't mean you should give up on a healthy diet -- or on exercise. In fact, the experts say, exercise is key to good health and a healthy body image.

"Exercise always helps," says Kava. "It may not change your absolute body weight, but you will feel better about your body, improve your self-esteem, and improve your attitude."

But if you're a beginner, don't get carried away.

"If you're someone who doesn't exercise, you need to start slowly," says Kava. "And don't get discouraged, even when life intervenes. This is a lifelong commitment to yourself that you have to make."

Building a Better Body Image

What other steps can you take to boost your body image?

• Make sure the people around you make you feel good about yourself, no matter your size. "If you are spending too much time with people who make you feel bad about your body, maybe you need another social group," Kava says. "Get an exercise group together, be proactive."
• Make sensible decisions about what you eat. "Make sure that you have a reasonably healthy diet, If you need help deciding what's good and bad for you, get the help of dietitian. People splurge on facials and massages -- go splurge on a dietitian."
• Focus on the inside, and let your body take its natural shape. "You need to focus on eating healthy and exercising while working on what's inside of you and the way you feel about yourself," says Magee. "In everything that I do, I promote the philosophy that you should eat and exercise for the health of it, and let the pounds fall where they may."
• Choose positive role models. "Choose role models that help you feel good about who you are, rather than ones who make you feel bad," says Kater.

Style Tips From Emme

Supermodel, television host, best-selling author, lecturer, and clothing designer Emme leads the list of full-figured role models who know a thing or two about having a positive and strong body image.  She's been named as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world by People magazine -- twice. Ladies Home Journal chose her as one of the "Most Important Women in America" and one of the "Most Fascinating Women of the Year." Biography magazine honored her as one of the "25 Most Influential Women," and Glamour saluted her as "Woman of the Year."