I am more concerned about my health than you, but I am horribly depressed about my body and my looks, and it's only gotten worse with age and weight gain. I not only want to look good for a partner (and I may not need a man, but I do want one), but I want to look good for myself and feel confident. I think it was Dove (http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/) that cited a study that said, of those women asked in several different countries (including the US), only 2% said they were happy with their appearance. How sad is that?

Look at the images we're inundated with. And on TV, on the Internet, and even among men you know (I bet), haven't you heard how they talk about "hot" women and put down "fat" and "ugly" women? It's hard to find approval of yourself from within when you get these messages all your life. I see it, and I realize people like this ("people," because it's not just men; women join in on making other women feel like crap about their looks) are jerks, and most of us have been guilty of being one of these jerks during our lifetime, but I still can't make myself be okay with how I look.