Written By Wendy Mak

As a personal stylist I was shocked at this awful photo-shop job on one of America's most beautiful and funniest women, Melissa McCarthy (she of Bridesmaid movie fame amongst others). If you missed it, then catch up on it here.

Looking at that, I was again reminded of how we're constantly being taught by large groups of media & retailers to obsess about our body AND to believe that a thinner frame is the ultimate "ideal".

This hits close to home for me...

I've seen first-hand how the pressure of what we see in shop windows, magazines and on TV, can cause women with absolutely normal and healthy bodies to scrutinise themselves - and pick out flaws in themselves.

I'm not saying that learning how to camouflage problem areas is a bad thing. On the contrary - my job as a fashion stylist has been to help my clients best dress themselves to give them the ultimate in confidence.

What I am saying is this: let's not see negatives where there really aren't any.

The fact is most of us can be guilty of comparing today with yesterday. We compare our today self with the younger, slimmer, trimmer version and then we look at say, our arms and think "gee they don't look so flash anymore".

We forget that to someone who's just met us, your arms look absolutely perfect!! They have NO IDEA what our arms looked like 10 years ago - their only barometer is what they see in us right now, today.

And THAT my friends, should be our only barometer too.

Can we change how we perceive our bodies?

It's not an easy journey to love and accept your body for what it is. But I hope this video will help you to pause and re-consider how you perceive your body, if only for a second.

(I should warn you I felt very passionately about this and recorded this video in one straight take so please forgive any blips or stumbles on my part!!)

So please share this messageand video today because you never know who may need it.... Love and appreciate your body, the amazing growth and transformation it will take and it will love you back. For as long as your body is healthy, you are already the winner.

With love, style & happiness!