They Agreed To Die Early If They Could Have 'The Perfect Body.' Yep, Die. [View all]

http://www.upworthy.com/they-agreed-to-die-early-if-they-could-have-the-perfect-body-yep-die?c=upw1

It sucks that Laci is not alone in her thinking. This is an all too common story. In fact, 1 in 3 female students who were polled in a big 'ole survey in the U.K. admitted to being OK with cutting months or years off of their lives to have "the perfect body."

I repeat — they were willing to DIE.



Tip #1: "If you're dieting to be skinnier, maybe just stop."

Restricting the types of food you eat can lower your metabolism and can also make you feel weak, which can make you more susceptible to getting sick. That's probably why, as Laci says, "95% of diets just straight don't work. People gain all the weight back."

Tip #2: Realize that you are not the problem.

The mainstream media often sets the standard for what's seen as beautiful and valuable. (This also includes a $60 billion-a-year diet industry that thrives on making folks feel bad about their bodies.) Sexism also plays a role in making women feel insecure, Laci notes: "Women are socialized to constantly monitor their own bodies and to make sure that they don't take up too much space." Let's not forget about influences from our social circle. Love them or not, they're part of the problem too because, in Laci's words, "our friends and our parents diet, and body image issues seep into our brain."