"No" year's resolutions for "weighty" women

Whether it is making promises to lose weight or exercise more, resolutions long have been a traditional aspect of ringing in the New Year. For most, health and appearance are at the top of the list in a relentless pursuit of thinness, a quest that all too often results in low self-esteem, body-image disturbances, or eating disorders.

Counselors at The Renfrew Center, Philadelphia, Pa., which specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, suggest 10 "No" Year's resolutions women can follow to achieve a healthier way of thinking about themselves and their bodies. Resolutionists should tell themselves, I will not:

* think, "If only I was thin, I would be happy."

* define my sense of self by the way my body looks.

* use food as a reward or diet to punish myself.

* allow my daily mood to be determined by the number on my scale.

* minimize my own achievement by comparing myself to an unattainable goal.

* push myself too hard by overexercising.

* force my body to conform to something that does not feel realistic to me.

* pass up a chance to help make the world more accepting of all body types.

* pass on food or body concerns to my children.

* forget the importance of caring for myself on a daily basis.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning