Forget the ideal. You can love the skin you’re in. And with these 7 simple strategies, we show you how.

Here’s a sad fact: More than half of American women are unhappy with their bodies, according to one survey. The most bothersome body parts: waists, hips, and thighs. But being thin doesn’t guarantee satisfaction. What’s often crucial, researchers have discovered, is how much your family and friends focused on your appearance when you were growing up, and whether you received compliments or criticism.

You can’t change the past, but you can change how you feel now—and in just a matter of weeks. Here’s how:

1. Expand your notion of beauty.
Many characteristics make people appealing—and most of them have nothing to do with fitting into a size 4. Even when you focus on physical appearances, remember that the definition of beauty has been fluid through the ages. To see what era most suits you, sift through various images of beauty as portrayed by different artists. Pay attention to the goddesses, who have historically been voluptuous figures with a strong sensuality.

2. Silence your inner critic.
Listen to how you talk to yourself. Instead of making hateful comments, try to give your self-talk a more positive or at least a neutral spin, a process known as cognitive restructuring. You might remind yourself that while you’re not physically perfect, you have features that you like or are objectively attractive—such as arms made firm by weight training.

You can also try examining how you feel about your body parts, rating each as OK, terrific, or problematic. Chances are the majority of you is perfectly acceptable.

3. Make your body more powerful.
Research shows that when women shift from a focus on looks to a focus on ********, they feel more positive about their bodies. And exercise is an important tool for making that change. One study, for instance, found that people who participated in a circuit weight-training program experienced greater body satisfaction and decreased anxiety about their appearances—after just 6 weeks.

4. Take a reality check.
Women frequently overestimate their flaws, especially when it comes to waist and hip sizes. So try this: take a piece of string and use a paper clip to mark off how much you think you’d need to encircle your waist. Then, wrap the string around your waist, mark your real size with another paper clip—and notice the difference.

Another way to stay in the reality zone: Get rid of your fat and skinny clothes. Instead of pretending you’re about to change size, work with what you have. Identify your best and worst features, then hide or highlight them with your clothes.

5. Feign confidence.
Stand tall, with your head high, your shoulders back, and a pleasant expression on your face. Remind yourself that you matter and that you’re entitled to take up space in the world; then walk in a way that expresses that attitude. Eventually, the feeling will come naturally.

6. Befriend your mirror image.
Here’s a good way to get ready for swimsuit season, especially if you’re uncomfortable without clothes: Start by looking at yourself (fully clothed) in a full-length mirror for 30 seconds, focusing on the areas you like. Next, try more figure-hugging or body-baring clothes. Breathe deeply and compliment yourself on some aspects of your appearance while gazing at your image. In time, you should feel more at ease.

7. Treat your body kindly.
Maybe you love the way it feels as you swim. Or perhaps you relish the sensation of soil in your hands as you garden or the flush of exertion while you’re dancing. Sensory satisfactions take the emphasis off your appearance and put it on how you experience your body. This enhances your appreciation of your physical self.

So do the healthy choices you make daily—to rest when you’re tired, go for a walk after a fight, or moisturize your dry skin. And eating well will help you feel better about your body, too.

Temporary work bad for men's health?

A study of the health of workers found that men in temporary jobs are more likely to suffer health problems than men in secure employment.

Dr Vanessa Gash from The University of Manchester's School of Social Sciences spent two years examining health statistics of Spanish and German workers.

The results, she says, are relevant to any country where there are temporary workers - including the UK.

Her team's work chimes with Scandinavian research which found that fixed-term contract workers are more likely to die from alcohol and smoking related causes than permanent workers.

She said: "Getting a job is good for your health, but according to our research it's less good for your health if you have a fixed-term contract - especially if you're a man.

"Fixed-term contract workers can lose their jobs more frequently as their contracts run out within short periods.

"This job loss often results in unemployment which usually causes a deterioration of general health indicators and health status.

"Fixed-term contract workers are also disproportionately affected by job insecurity which is also thought to affect health status.

"There may also be stresses linked to the comparatively poor job quality of some fixed-term jobs which tend to be relatively low paid.

"For sure it's a major trend across Europe. In Spain where we did some of our work, a third of all workers are on fixed-term contracts.

"But it's also common in the UK especially as according to a recent EU report, new forms of work arrangements - including freelance or temporary agency workers - have increased to almost 40 percent in 2005 across the EU."

MHF launch 'men's health' Wikipedia entry

The MHF has leapt into the world of Wikis.

The Forum has started entries for men’s health and Men’s Health Forum on the popular Wikipedia site, an online encyclopedia that readers can edit themselves.

MHF CEO Peter Baker says ‘the mens’ health entry is currently very short but it obviously has the potential to be expanded significantly and to branch out into entries for different issues as well as countries.’

The Forum is urging all members and supporters to add content from time-to-time so that the entries will develop into a history of men’s health as well as an account of the key issues.

‘It is our hope that, at some point, this entry could be used as a key source for a published history of the men’s health movement and become a useful starting-point for researchers and others with an interest in this field.’ Peter added. ‘We know that Wikipedia, as an open-access forum, has obvious limitations and even some dangers. On balance, however, we feel it offers the best opportunity available to develop a much-needed resource.’

Please forward this information to any of your contacts who might also be interested. If you are involved with any journals or publications, do consider publicizing this initiative so that as many people as possible have a chance to contribute.