Body image is a person's mental picture of his or her body. Nearly everyone has a body image. Nearly everyone judges that image as good, or less good, by comparing her or his body to a standard of the "ideal body" communicated to individuals by their culture and people who are important to them, such as lovers, family, and friends. The judgment a person makes about her or his body image is called body esteem. Individuals with a positive body image tend to have higher body esteem than do individuals with a less positive body image.

Many women are excessively concerned about their body image and tend to have low body esteem because they believe themselves to be overweight. Books, films, TV, and popular magazines (especially women's magazines) consistently send messages that our society esteems thin women and disdains heavy ones. Whereas maintaining appropriate body size is associated with good health, attempting to achieve an unrealistic ideal of slimness is oppressive to many women. Failure to meet unrealistic standards leads many women to judge themselves as unattractive and lowers their self-esteem.

The current emphasis on sliminess is partly fad - there have been times when thinness was associated with being sickly and a full body was a sign of health and sexual attractiveness - and partly desire to be healthy and fit. A lean body is associated with high status, sexual attractiveness, youthfulness, and a demonstration of personl power to be trim and fit in a culture in which sedentary habits and overeating are common.

For the most part, standards of attractiveness and a healthful appearance are set by companies seeking to sell products and increase profits. Advertisements try to convince women that they fall short of an ideal and that, by purchasing a product, dieting, or exercising to change their body size and shape, they can improve themselves and their lives. These messages cause many women to judge themselves on how they look and cause many men to judge women largely by their physical appearance. Over concern about body image and weight can have adverse health consequences, including:

· Depression from low body esteem and low self-worth
· Poor nutrition from extensive dieting
· Inadequate calcium and iron intake from under nutrition
· Anorexia or bulimia
· Musculoskeletal injuries from over exercising
· Risks associate with cosmetic surgery
· Cigarette smoking to reduce weight

Black Women and Body Image

Black women take in a double-dose of the stigmatized body image because they are pressured to be thin and look good in addition to looking white by altering their natural hair image to model the long, straight hair feature of white women. Though many Black women have gotten away from the long hair look and gone to braids, the mainstream spotlight remains on long hair, especially in the media and in Hollywood.

In addition to the outward look, Black women (and men) have adapted the lifestyles of white mainstream and historical images also, such as sexual promiscuity, organized crime-life, and an arrogance of superiority of classism. So there is more to image than just body, there is also the mind. Once Blacks start thinking for themselves, they become free.