Being confident in your own skin is something adolescents struggle with. A positive or healthy body image is feeling happy and satisfied with your body, as well as being comfortable with and accepting the way you look.

A negative or unhealthy body image is feeling unhappy with the way you look. People who feel like this often want to change their body size or shape. Unfortunately, teenage girls who are overweight tend to be the most vulnerable to bad body image and low self-esteem.

Trying to boost your body confidence is definitely worth it. According to raisingchildren.net, issues with body image is directly related to low self-esteem, which can lead to serious mental illnesses such as eating disorders and depression.

I know first hand what it’s like to not love yourself. I know what it’s like to look in the mirror and think, “If only I could change this, then I’d finally be happy.”

Breaking the cycle of bad thoughts and poor self-talk is so important. Teens everywhere, girls and boys, think so negatively about the way they are.

“Body confidence is important because if you have confidence in your body you begin to see your strengths and you begin to notice your worth,” junior Nicki Graham said.

There are several factors that can influence a teenagers body image. This can include social media, their friends and their body images, or just everyday peer pressure. Teenagers just want to fit in.

My message to you, if you struggle with body image, is rather than dwelling so heavily about your body, think more about the things you are good at.

Do you love art or music? Are you a good student? These are all things that make you unique. Teens tend to focus so much on the negative aspects of their bodies, such as having acne or being too short or too tall, and then they tend to not focus on the wonderful things their bodies can do.

Everyone is beautifully imperfect in their own way. My challenge to teens everywhere is to center their attention on nourishing their bodies rather than hating them. Examples of this are focusing on what they love, and being proud of who they are today.