Body Positive: Understanding and Improving Body Image in Science and Practice

What would it be like to feel good about your body? Does anyone really fully appreciate their body? If diverse body shapes and sizes were shown in the media, would this change your perception? While this book addresses all of these questions and more, it is not simply a standard scientific exploration of poor body image. Instead, it examines a new movement focused on understanding what it is that leads people to love, appreciate, take care of, and embrace their bodies. Featuring chapters written by leading, international experts in the science and practice of body image, Body Positive is a provocative and engaging look at how we feel about our physical selves in the twenty-first century - and how we can all come to feel better than we currently do.

Elizabeth A. Daniels, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She is a developmental psychologist and has been conducting research on body image, media, and gender for fifteen years. Her work has been featured in the national and international press, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Time, New York Magazine, BBC News, The Telegraph, and International Business Times.

Meghan M. Gillen, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University, Abington. She has been conducting research on body image, gender, and physical appearance issues for fifteen years. She has won a college-wide teaching award and was a featured convocation speaker at her college. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Self Magazine, and US News and World Report.

Charlotte H. Markey, Ph.D., is a Psychology Professor and Director of the Health Sciences program at Rutgers University, New Jersey. She has been conducting research on eating, dieting, body image and obesity risk for twenty years. Her book, Smart People Don't Diet (2014), was described by Scientific American as 'possibly the best book on weight loss ever written', and she regularly blogs for US News and World Report, Psychology Today, and Science of Relationships. Her research has also been discussed in outlets including the New York Times, The Today Show, and WHYY radio.