Body image is the way we feel about our bodies and our looks. It�s what we see when we look in the mirror. And, it�s how we feel inside our own skin.

You have hundreds of body parts. Any one of them can make you feel good or bad. The most visible ones -- your height, weight, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, skin color -- are the parts most people focus on when they look in the mirror.

Your sexual parts -- breasts, vulva, penis -- are also areas of the body that many people, especially teenagers, worry about, sometimes wishing they were different.

People with a positive body image accept themselves as they are. They see themselves as a complete package, flawed in some ways, but perfect in others. And, as their bodies change throughout their lives, they embrace these changes, knowing it�s a natural part of growing up and older.

People who have a real negative body image dislike just about everything about their looks. Their bodies make them unhappy. And even if they make changes, like coloring their hair or losing weight, there�s always something else they want to �fix.�

Sometimes, they become obsessed with their appearance. But, the funny thing is, they rarely worry about how others look. They usually put way more pressure on themselves to look good than they do on others.

People who have a very positive body image love the way they look.  There�s nothing they want to change. When they look in the mirror, they see beauty, their own definition of it.

Most people fall somewhere between these two extremes. They like many things about themselves, but dislike other things. They might think that, overall, they�re good looking, but wish their nose was smaller or their muscles bigger.

And, feelings can change from year to year, month-to-month, sometimes even day to day. We can feel good about our bodies until someone teases us, and suddenly, we feel bad about something that never bothered us before. This is especially true for teens.

On some days, the clothes we�re wearing can make us feel great. Other days, there�s not an outfit in the closet that seems to fit right. Some days, our skin glows. Other times, it�s marred by zits. These feelings are normal. Everyone has them.