Having a healthy body image is as much of a state of mind as it is to a finely tuned body. What does healthy mean? What denotes a healthy body?

Let's take a look at some perceptions and truths.

When one considers a health body, one must take into account the publicis perception of healthy bodies. Many consider the overly thin models healthy. The truth is, these models are eating very little and often finding themselves feeling faint while on the runway. Is this healthy? Many models only do so for a few years and then retire and eat normally.

Consider pictures of women decades ago.

Pictures were painted with women having a bit of a tummy and a bit heavier.This was their ideal of a healthy woman.

In today's society, many compare themselves to the pictures on magazines. The truth is, what is healthy for one person isn't a healthy body image for another person.

Each person needs to find their own healthy level and build their body from there. If a woman feels she is overweight simply because she looked at a magazine, then she isn't making a healthy choice.

Consider the anorexic or bulimic, neither are healthy images of ones body.

Healthy is when a steady weight is maintained and one feels good about themselves without purging or starving oneself.

Many actresses gain and lose weight for a movie part. Why? Because that is what the producer expects of them. It's hard to have a healthy image of oneself when one has to live under others expectations.

The truth is, if you're happy with how you look, if you like what you see in the mirror, then you probably have a healthy image of yourself. Just because you and your sister are the same height doesn't mean you should be the same weight. Different body builds and shapes make for a different weight.

Learning to love the body you were given is often a challenge for women. Learning to not compare yourself to a magazine picture, an actress or the neighbor are all part of developing a healthy body image and learning the importance that it's what is on the inside, not the outside that truly matters in life.

So go ahead and eat healthy.

Don't starve yourself to be super thin, don't over eat and then purge yourself. Just be yourself and find something about your body that you truly like and focus on that aspect of your body.