What do we see when we look in the mirror? Trick question. There is only one thing we are going to see in the mirror and that is ourselves and whatever else is in the room. It’s the way we view ourselves that dictates how you see yourself in the mirror.

Our self-image is developed early on. Our caretakers develop our sense of self in the way they touch, hold and respond to us. Our body image is part of our self-esteem and the way we value ourselves.

Physically, males and females view ideal body image as opposites. Men view size as a privilege and women view size as a liability, but in both sexes, a negative or positive body image stems from upbringing and personality.

The funny thing about body image as that it’s constantly fluctuating. One minute you will feel great about yourself, and the next minute feel the need to do a hundred sit-ups. These changes arise because our thoughts and perceptions are influenced when we interact with others and our environment.

Body image isn’t all emotional and mental; it is also a biological part of our survival instinct, awareness of the body in space and how much room we take up.

Due to media and other powerful images, we all have different ideas of what a perfect body means, but most of the time these ideas are actually myths or unattainable no matter what we try.

Everyone is built differently and unfortunately this can leave people feeling like their bodies are inadequate even though they can’t do anything to change it. The only way to fix this is to feel confident in your own body.

Sometimes there are ways to change the composition of our bodies through healthy diet and exercise, but if and when our body changes that doesn’t mean anything else about us changes, and it’s up to us to find our own self worth in something other than our body type.