Barely six weeks into 2006, and I’m already hearing from tired, frustrated women who threw in the towel, but not the guilt, over some body improvement project. Believe it or not, the extra lbs haven’t melted off, the daily trips to the gym haven’t materialized and Ben and Jerry are still hanging out in the freezer. Although I’m always encouraging women to embrace self-acceptance – especially when it comes to their bodies, my concerns are now greater than ever.

In January I presented a program to over 100 girls in 7th and 8th grade at The Bishops School in La Jolla who already feel the intense pressure to look perfect.

The research I devoured for that program was depressing. While 75% of third graders agree with the statement, “I like the way I look,” only 56% of 7th graders agree. Half of all girls in grades 9 to 12 think they are overweight, and 60% are trying to lose weight. As diet-guru Susan Powter, the muscular blond with the buzz cut used to scream, “Stop the insanity!”

Ladies, it starts with us. Every time we bond with another woman over our droopy breasts, fluffy tummies and cellulite, we’re weighing down another generation with a poor self-image. Every time we act as if eating a piece of chocolate is a mortal sin, we encourage more young women to see food as the enemy. Every time we refer to ourselves as fat we end up distorting what a normal body looks like.

What would happen if the next time one of your gal pals started to tell horror stories about some part of her body, you found the courage to say, “I’d rather talk about things we like about ourselves.” Do you think the cookie would crumble? Or, would we begin to fill ourselves with the positive images that so many of us are starving for?

Just the other day one of my favorite comic strips, Baby Blues, had the kindergarten age daughter telling her mother how excited her new baby sister gets when she looks in the mirror. The mom picks up the toy mirror, glances in it and says, “Enjoy it while you can, kiddo.” I’m here to suggest that we can enjoy and appreciate our beautiful reflection – it’s all how we choose to see it.

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Articles may be reproduced with permission from Colette Carlson Communications.